Healing the Healer
by bleachfanficfanatic
Summary: A near permanent slip into Soul Society highlights Orihime's need of assistance for healing of her own. Ichigo wants to be there for her but doesn't understand why his presence causes her more pain. He also doesn't know what to do when he realizes he feels more deeply for the healer than he previously believed. IchiHime angst to love story with eventual fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I decided to write this in a slight AU in that Ichigo has not lost his shinigami powers after defeating Aizen. I simply do not know enough about that story to include it in my fiction. There will most likely be high amounts of OOC moments for many of the characters but that should be expected since I'm writing what I would like to have happen as opposed to what Tite decides will happen. The beginning of this story has a bit of angst but later on there will mostly be fluff and romance (hence the OOC moments, particularly for Ichigo because let's be honest, anything akin to romance is OOC for him). With that said there may be trigger topics for some readers here (ie depression, accidental overdose, etc).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Note: _Italicized_ texts are thoughts, flash backs, dreams

Chapter 1: Healer, Interrupted

The day started out like any other for Ichigo Kurosaki. Rising from his bed he stretched himself and headed to the bathroom to take a shower…a cold shower. Getting dressed was a simple task and would have been even if he didn't have the uniform to make his clothing decisions for him. Picking up his bag he headed downstairs to be met with the scent of hot cinnamon and apples pluming from the kitchen. Yuzu pretty much rose with the sun to make sure her family had a healthy, hearty breakfast before they headed out for their respective days.

"Good morning," her bright bubbly voice sang out and Ichigo grunted his reply before sitting down to the table. A moment later he was blocking a kick to the head from Isshin and promptly plastered his father into the wall.

"Oi, old man, can't we have one morning of peace in this house?!" yelled Ichigo irritated.

"Ahhhh my son, you have grown faster in your reflexes! Your father is so proud," Isshin gushed making way to hug his son only to be punched in the face for his efforts.

Sighing as she entered the room Karin stepped over her father's prone body to the stove to heap oatmeal into a bowl before sitting down to eat it. Yuzu served her brother and father after she'd gotten them both to calm down a bit and the rest of breakfast was fairly uneventful.

Ichigo waved goodbye to his family and started off for school. Upon arrival he, as usual, fended off the over enthusiastic greeting of Keigo and sat down in his seat waiting for the arduous school day to begin.

It had been three months since the war against Aizen ended with victory in their favor and life had returned to normal. Well, as normal as life could be for a substitute-shinigami, a Quincy, a Full Bringer and a healer who were friends with death gods.

It was this thought which made him realize that the room felt odd. Something was out of place, missing…then it hit him: Inoue Orihime. He couldn't believe it took this long to notice that he'd not heard, "Good morning Kurosaki-kun," in her high cheer-filled voice. He'd noticed that she'd been absent a lot since her return, that her eyes had a far off look in them more often and that though she tried she did not maintain her sunny disposition as much anymore. Still, when she was there she always made sure to greet everyone enthusiastically, especially him.

Normally these things would not have been apparent to him. Ichigo was a tunnel vision type of person which was both beneficial and, though he hated to admit it, detrimental for him. Beneficial in battle, detrimental in, well, almost everything else. He'd reasoned with himself that it was perfectly normal for him to be noticing Orihime more these days because he was concerned about her. It was normal for him to want to watch over her more now because she'd been taken once and he wasn't about to let it happen again. It was normal.

" **Sure, and the dreams you've been having about her are normal too. You know the ones King, that make you run to a cold shower like a pervert,"** he heard his hollow cackle from inside his head.

Ichigo hissed but did not reply. He knew if he did it would only make the hollow pester him more. But today he needed no encouragement to proceed with his jabs, " **Really though, who could blame you? I mean, she's freaking hot, all that innocence just waiting to be tainted."**

Now Ichigo was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists but still did not reply.

" **I bet there's not much you wouldn't give to have her here and just bend her over the desk,"** the hollow continue before Ichigo bellowed in his head, " _ENOUGH! Shut the hell up before I come in there and kick your sorry ass!_ " The hollow just laughed at his rage.

" **What's the matter King? Feeling frustrated? Personally, I'd be saving energy for another more pleasurable meeting of bodies. I certainly wouldn't mind feeling what the hottie is like in the sack."**

Ichigo had reached his limit. It was one thing for the hollow to taunt him about himself. He could handle that just fine and usually just ignored him. But he was infuriated by what the hollow said about his friend. She was his nakama and he would defend her. He'd gotten to his feet and brusquely stated he had to go to the restroom. His teacher didn't bother stopping him as by this point Kurosaki wasn't worth the trouble of getting worked up about.

The irritated orange hair had almost reached the door exiting to the roof when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around his amber brown orbs met the cool stare of the sapphire eyes belonging to Ishida Uryu.

"What the hell do you want Ishida?" Ichigo asked roughly jerking his arm to get the Quincy to release his shoulder.

"You're exploding reiatsu everywhere idiot, are you _trying_ to attract hollows?" came the clear reply, Ishida not backing down from his position in front of the man before him.

Ichigo huffed and closed his eyes in an effort to reign himself back in, taking a few deep breaths to do so. Once he'd put a cap back on himself he opened his eyes and met those of the man in front of him again. "Better?" he asked sarcastically.

"Marginally, now what the hell was that outburst about?" Uryu asked adjusting his glasses as he took a step back.

There was no way Ichigo was going to disclose the nature of his hollow's "conversation" to Ishida. Though they had worked through some of their trust issues in relation to battle, when it came to personal matters they both remained resistant and too prideful to condescend to any actual friendship. Theirs was a tumultuous alliance of alternative forces though both conceded their differences helped in creating optimal battle plans. Each had strengths that somehow complimented the other, were they ever level headed enough to see past their irritations with each other, which was hit and miss at best.

So instead of answering Ichigo scowled deeply and turned away to continue to the roof. Ishida heaved a frustrated sigh but did not pursue him. His goal had been obtained: he'd made Ichigo calm down enough that they would hopefully not have to run to kill off a half dozen hollows or so. Such being the case he headed down from the direction he'd come and back to class.

Ichigo made it to the roof much calmer, though he'd never thank the Quincy for his role in that, and stared out over the school yard. He was worried about Orihime and didn't know what to do about it. Initially he'd tried to reach out to her but because he was so bad at talking to anyone, particularly girls, it had not gone as well as he'd hoped.

 _He'd seen her in the store on a Sunday, picking up red bean paste, wasabi and other such odd ingredients for which he had no idea why she had such a penchant for. Walking up behind her he'd said, "Hey Inoue."_

 _Shrieking at the sound of his voice the tube of wasabi paste she'd been holding flew up into the air as she flung her arms up and stepped away from him. Unfortunately she'd stepped onto a can which had also fallen and was rapidly descending to the ground. He'd reacted instantly, catching first her and then the wasabi. He'd had to catch her while leaning and practically had her in a dip, secure in the crook of his arm. Looking down he saw her eyes wide and a faint flush rising on her cheeks. He'd smiled then as he righted himself pulling her with him._

 _"Sorry Inoue, I didn't mean to scare you," he'd said quietly as he released her and handed her the paste. She didn't say anything for a few seconds but then waved her hands wildly in front of her._

" _Oh no, Kurosaki-kun, it's ok. My brain was wandering; the little blue men you know…" she replied before trailing off, her eyes not meeting his anymore. He'd frowned then and touched her shoulder. She'd jumped at the contact and he pulled his hand back again. Now he was really concerned. Granted, he didn't usually touch her this much (though it hadn't really been a lot) but she was acting even more strange than usual._

" _Are you sure you're ok? You seem really spooked," he'd asked gently. He was surprised at how often she brought out his softer side. His reputation was that of a hard punk-ass who didn't give two craps about anything or anybody. He preferred it that way, with pretty much everyone else besides Inoue. With her, he could be gentle, he could be kind._

 _She smiled, but he noticed it didn't really reach her eyes, as she said, "Yes, I'm fine Kurosaki-kun, thank you for your concern." After that they'd made small talk about the coming school week while each finished their shopping and he said he'd walk her home._

" _Oh no, you don't have to do that," she'd begun and he'd interrupted her gently but firmly, "Inoue, I'm not asking. I'm walking you home." Her eyes widened slightly but then she'd smiled and nodded to his decision. Gathering up their bags of groceries (again thwarting her protests) they'd walked to her apartment and climbed the stairs. After she'd opened the door he followed her in to deposit her bags on the counter before saying goodnight. He'd given her one last look at the door with concerned filled eyes but decided not to press her. If she wanted to talk to him, she would, simple as that. "Lock your door Inoue," he said and waited until she'd closed it and he'd heard the bolt slide in place before heading back down the stairs and to his house._

His thoughts were interrupted by the door behind him opening and turning around he saw his friends heading over to their usual lunch spot. He walked over to join them sitting between Tatsuki and Chad. Leaning back against the fence that surrounded the rooftop he took a deep breath in.

"What's your deal? You seemed more stressed than usual," Tatsuki asked, her mouth full of sandwich.

Ichigo huffed, "Nothing, just…do you know why Inoue isn't here today?"

Tatsuki was surprisingly quiet for a moment but then replied, "She's home sick. She called in and then texted me."

While Ichigo was no stranger to sudden onslaughts of illness (his father did run a clinic after all) he instinctively felt Tatsuki was lying to him and turned to face her. Normally she'd have met his gaze head on, literally if she was feeling nasty, but today she averted her eyes. Now he knew there was something really wrong.

"Tatsuki," he said firmly and still she wouldn't look at him. By now Chad was also looking at her while she stared straight ahead of her not meeting either of their faces. Ichigo sighed in frustration and tried again, "Tatsuki, don't lie to me. What's going on with Inoue?" Now everyone was looking at them and her cheeks were getting red with frustration.

"Ichigo, look, just…it's not my place to talk about it. If she needs some time to herself then we need to respect it you know? So, just calm down with the over protective hero crap and leave her be yeah?" Her steady voice was more disarming than if she'd been shouting at him, which was her normal way of speaking most of the time.

Raising his eyebrows Ichigo glanced up to Chad's face with a look of perplexity. The gentle giant seemed as lost as he was. Focusing his attention back to the girl he shifted to crouch in front of her and stared at her until she finally looked him in the eyes. "Tatsuki, that's the last thing she needs after what she went through I would think," he said. He'd meant to go on but the next moment he found himself on the ground looking up at a furious Tatsuki.

She held him by the collar of his shirt, her hand clenched in a fist and breathing hard, "How the hell would you know anything about what she needs Kurosaki!" His eyes were wide at her violence as were the rest of the boys' surrounding them. Before he could reply, that is if he'd known what to say, she continued, "You have no freaking clue what she's been through, what she's _still_ going through because you don't ask! You barely notice her when she's around but the second she's not here all of a sudden you give a crap! It's because you need something from her, right? Then of course you'd notice she wasn't here!"

This accusation caused him to go from confusion to anger. Despite her hold on him he was able to stand up, though she did not let go of his shirt. Her eyes never left his even as he towered over her, his glare piercing, "What the hell are you talking about Tatuski?" he growled, unheeded by their audience.

Tatsuki clenched her fist tighter. "Ichigo," she began but stopped when Ishida had moved next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

He said gently but firmly, "Arisawa-san, it is not your place to do this." Her eyes flashed from Ichigo's to Ishida's but she held fast to the orange hair's shirt. Ishida continued, breaking his gaze from hers to lean in and whisper in her ear, "If you do this you will hurt her more. Let her decide when or even if she wants to tell him. If you take that choice away from her, even if it's because you're trying to protect her, you're in no position to criticize him for his rash actions."

She'd stiffened then and Ichigo wondered what Ishida had said when he felt her release his shirt. The fire in her eyes was doused by a sudden flooding of tears. Never had any of them seen her cry and it was shocking. Before they could do anything about it she took off running, yanking open the roof door and disappearing into the gloom of the hallway. Ichigo had watched her leave but the sound of slamming metal brought him back to himself and he whirled around to face the Quincy again.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked with a mix of bewilderment and frustration. Ishida merely adjusted his glasses before bending down to pick up his bag. Looking at Ichigo he sighed and said, "Kurosaki, though you probably care little for it, my advice to you is to talk to Inoue-san. I know you've tried," he said with a hand up when he saw Ichigo open his mouth to interrupt him, "but try again and try harder." With that he walked to the same door Tatsuki had fled through.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

 _It was the same scene all over again. Orihime running as fast as she could through the seemingly endless empty corridors of Las Noches trying to both get away from someone and get to someone. "Hang on, just hang on," she thought as she ran, her lungs burning in the efforts of fueling oxygen to the rest of her body. Just before she would reach the door she was sure would lead her to where she needed to be she was yanked off her feet by the scruff of her neck and thrown backwards. Her hard landing knocked the wind out of her already pain filled lungs and she cried out as her attacker then lifted her by her throat and slammed her against the wall. She didn't want to open her eyes, didn't want to see the face of her nightmares._

" _Where do you think you're going pet," she heard the vile voice of Nnoitra Jiruga hiss in her face. She squirmed trying to get away but he merely tightened his grip cutting off more of her air. "Now, now, if you play nice this time, maybe I'll let you off with a few less bruises." Tears were streaming down her cheeks by now, her desperation to get away reaching fever pitch._

" _Let…me go…please…I have…to," she spoke in rasping gasp, barely getting enough oxygen to function let alone speak._

 _The next moment she felt his free hand on her chest, squeezing her and laughing. She was beginning to black out from the pressure on her neck but before he could continue she felt a violent jerk as his body went flying and she with him. However, before she'd landed on the hard ground again she felt herself caught. As she began coughing and gasping for air her savior slowly came into view. Though she realized savior was a misnomer as her grey eyes met the green ones of Ulquiorra Cifer._

" _Woman, what are you doing out of your quarters?" his emotionless cold voice asked. She still couldn't speak so he continued, "I suppose you realize the trash you call your friends have arrived. They are all fools, come here to throw their lives away and for what? To save you? A traitor?"_

 _She winced before softly saying, "I…I'm not a traitor."_

 _His eyes narrowed and he brought his face closer to hers causing her to try to back away but his hold on her remained firm, "You walked away from them of your own volition. Your faithfulness died the moment you decided not to when I came for you. And now they will burn like the worthless trash they are because of you." She was crying harder now, eyes closed as she refused to look at him anymore._

 _The next instant she felt herself lifted high into the air, spiritual pressure smothering her and making it hard to breathe again. When she opened her eyes she screamed in horror at the face before hers. It was no longer Ulquiorra but that of Ichigo in his full hollow form. Then he'd suddenly slammed her to the ground, his hands on her throat. When he spoke his voice was wavy, almost as if it were under water, "This is your fault Inoue! Why did you let this happen to me?"_

 _Crying harder Orihime shrieked, "I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry! Please, please forgive me!"_

 _With a roar of anger and frustration she felt him snap her neck._

Shooting up in her bed, covered with sweat and tears, Orhime gasped frantically for air while clutching her chest and neck. After she realized she was in her bedroom she covered her face with her hands, sobbing hard. Almost every time she would fall asleep this nightmare or one similar to it caused her to wake up in terror. Since returning from Hueco Mundo there had not been a time where her sleeping did not lead to nightmares. Going to the bathroom to splash water on her face she noticed the dark circles under her eyes more clearly. Normally she would have makeup on to cover them to avoid the questions and the stares but today she'd not bothered because she had not planned on going outside. She just couldn't face the day and had decided to hole up in her home. Though she craved the presence of others after so much isolation during her imprisonment she also avoided it because it became overwhelming to constantly hide her true feelings.

Yawning she stretched and found herself longing for the sweet relief of sleep. But sleep no longer brought comfort, only terror and pain.

She had lain down but when she closed her eyes images of Aizen and his demands for the healing of her enemies came into view. Opening her eyes she sighed, counted to ten and closed them again.

This time it was a flash back of her beating from the Arrancar girls. Eyes open, count to ten, deep breath, eyes closed.

Flashes of Grimmjow, the maniac warrior, commanding her to heal Kurosaki-kun so he could hurt him again. Eyes open, breathing harder, count to ten, eyes closed.

That horrible moment of realizing Ulquiorra had killed Kurosaki-kun and her screaming for him to come back, to save her. Eyes open, tears flowing, prayers for sleep. Even death could not save her now because she'd remember everything forever.

Turning on her side the bottle of sleeping pills Isshin Kurosaki had written her a prescription for came into view through her tear filled eyes. She'd been at Ichigo's house for a project and his father noticed the glazed look of exhaustion in her eyes. She'd taken them a few times over the last couple weeks but even they were not able to keep the nightmares at bay long enough for her to get a solid unbroken stretch of sleep.

" _Maybe I just need to need to take a little more of it, really get deep into slumber. Even if I sleep the whole night and day that would be fine with me_ ," she thought as she contemplated the bottle. The prescribed dose for someone her height and weight was 2 pills within an 8 hour period. Thinking it over she remembered the time she'd taken them they worked for 4 hours before she'd bolted up in bed again, though more hazy than previous times, and figured if she wanted a full 8 hours she should take 4 pills all at once. Maybe 6 to be absolutely sure she'd fall asleep.

Resolving this to be the best course of action she filled a glass with water and quickly downed 6 of the pills. Lying down on her pillow and tugging the blanket up she waited for them to take effect. It didn't take long before she was drowsy and not much longer after that she began to slowly slip into unconsciousness.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

As Ichigo neared Orihime's apartment he reached out for her reiatsu to see if she was there. He stood outside her home for a long while letting her presence sweep over him. Usually he felt warmth, even tenderness from her when he really concentrated. But now, it was like she was slipping away. He couldn't describe it in any other way excepting sinking.

"S _omething's wrong,"_ he thought as he bounded up the stairs. Standing outside her door he reached further into her reiastu signature, trying to figure out what was going on. Initially he'd thought the faintness of it meant she was resting, possibly sleeping, and he didn't want to wake her. But as the signature grew fainter and fainter he'd had enough. He needed to make sure she was ok.

"Inoue! Are you ok?" he shouted at the door. Met with silence he knocked firmly before trying again, "Inoue, come on!"

Suddenly he felt her spiritual pressure plummet. Panic seized him in a way it had only once before: when he'd witnessed his mother killed by the Fisher King. Raising his leg he kicked the door at the bolt juncture and it splintered. Leaning back he kicked at it again and it shattered into the room. He knew something was terribly wrong because not once during his assault on the door had he heard her make a noise.

Rushing through the living room he entered her bedroom and saw her in bed under the covers. Flinging them back he could see her skin was a sickly pale accentuating the darkness under her eyes. Were it not for the faint rise and fall of her chest he would have thought her dead. He knelt by the bed and grabbed her shoulders, trying to be as gentle as possible but knowing he had to wake her up.

"Inoue, come on, you need to wake up," he said urgently, shaking her slightly but he received no response. Turning his head he leaned forward and placed his ear over her mouth. He could hear her airway struggling and felt her pulse weakening. Now he was panicking even more, his brain forgetting what he needed to do.

"INOUE!" he shouted inches from her face and all he received was a slight flinch. Not knowing what else to do he grabbed the cell phone from his pocket but right as he was about to dial 911 she murmured almost imperceptibly, "No…no…Grimmjow…stop." His heart wrenched in his chest hearing her desperate pleas. Not knowing what she was seeing he decided that if he took her to the regular hospital like this she might end up talking about things that made her sound like a crazy person. So he called the next best person he could think of.

"Hello, Kurosaki clinic.." he heard his father speak into the line and interrupted the greeting by practically shouting, "Dad, I need help. Something's wrong with Inoue!"

Isshin pulled the phone away from his ear shocked at the loudness and panic in his son's voice. While he knew Ichigo could get worked up it was normally anger or exasperation in his tone, not panic.

"Ok son, tell me what's going on?" he asked as calm as possible. He knew he had to get Ichigo to calm down if either of them were going to be any help to her.

"I don't know…I…I came by her place and felt her reiatsu level drop…so I broke down the door and when I found her in her room she…Kami…dad it looks like she can't breathe right…she's breathing but she's not getting full breaths and…" here Ichigo stopped as he noticed the bottle of sleeping pills. He read out the label and his father stiffened.

"How many are left in the bottle," he asked. Ichigo dumped them on the floor and counted answering, "12, there are 12 left dad."

Doing a quick calculation of how many he'd given her and how long ago he knew there should be more than that. If she'd taken too many of those on purpose or by accident they needed to get them out of her now.

"Ichigo, I need you to get her here. Just leave your body there and use shunpo," he said sternly.

By his instruction and the tone in his voice Ichigo knew things had just gone from bad to worse.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

After Isshin hung up the phone Ichigo grabbed his spirit badge and slammed it against his chest. He wasted no time scooping Orihime up into his arms and raced out the front door. He'd never gone this fast in shunpo before. Landing in front of the door he was about to kick it in when Yuzu opened it and he stepped through the threshold.

"This way Ichigio," she said and he followed her to where their father had set up an exam room with the stomach pump ready. Isshin indicated for him to lay her down on the table and he complied. She was moaning and gurgling but her pulse was growing weaker and weaker. Isshin lifted her eyelids and based on the dilation knew he was dealing with a potential overdose. Even in her severely unconscious state she'd flinched at his touch and he wondered what was going on in her head.

He moved away and grabbed an intubation tube. Moving over her face he held her head to insert the tube into her nose only for her to turn her head sharply and grab his wrist. The movement shocked him because with the estimated amount of medication in her body she shouldn't be able to move much at all. Whatever she was dreaming about must have been terrifying.

 _Orihime could see Szayel Grantz poking and prodding her, treating her like a science experiment. She felt his strong hand hold down her wrist and struggled against it, felt him trying to pry her mouth open to stick only Kami knew what into her. Was he trying to force feed her? Ulqiuorra had threatened to do that from time to time but she'd been good! She'd eaten even though the food tasted horrible and made her want to throw up. Speaking of throwing up, Szayel had put something into her throat and it was causing unpleasant sensations in her stomach. Was he poisoning her? What purpose would there be in that? The desire to throw up was getting stronger as she felt sweat forming on her brow, running down her temple and onto her neck. Oh Kami, she was going to be sick! When she opened her eyes all she saw was white and turned her body._

Isshin had just barely had time to drop the intubation tube and grab a receptacle before Orihime was throwing up violently into it. The sound of her retching filled the room as she filled the bin with the contents of her stomach. Isshin held her hair back and looking over her head saw his son's face. Ichigo looked scared and that was something rarely seen.

"Ichigo, I doubt Inoue wants you to see this. Go get your body. You can see her when she's decent. Go on!" he said firmly. Ichigo did as he was told. He wasn't sure he could watch her like this anymore. It was painful, it was shocking and it made him feel ill too.

After getting back into his body he wasn't sure what to do about the door. Calling Chad he asked if he could stay the night there to make sure no one went in or stole anything which he readily agreed to do. Before he'd left his father had called asking him to get some stuff for Inoue. He would be keeping her under observation for at least a day, maybe two, and knew she'd want clean clothes. Not knowing where she kept anything and not wanting to invade her privacy anymore than he already had that day he'd called Tatuski for help.

To say she was upset was an understatement but she'd come over and helped him back an overnight bag.

"Ichigo, I…I'm sorry about today," she said shuffling her feet uncomfortably. He took pity on her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok Tatuski, I understand you just care about her. I do too, ok? I…I may not show it well but I do care," he said, not overly pleased at showing her this side of him though he knew that she knew him better than anyone. She looked up and smiled at him then. By that time Chad had arrived and Tatsuki offered to keep him company so that Orihime could have some peace and rest before she saw her.

By the time Ichigo had gotten back home Orihime had been changed into a fresh nightgown and was asleep. "Dad, why did you write a prescription for sleeping pills for her?" he'd asked once they'd settled in the living room. By now it was late and his sisters were in bed. Normally at this time of night Ichigo would be up in his room either doing homework or just avoiding having to be around his father but he wanted to stay as close to Orihime as possible without disturbing her so he elected to stay downstairs.

"I noticed her eyes were glazed with exhaustion and after some coaxing she finally told me she hadn't been sleeping well since she got back," his father answered. Ichigo felt a stone fall in his stomach, ashamed that he hadn't noticed her suffering. He'd sworn to protect her, to not let anything happen to her again. Isshin felt he could interpret his son's thoughts fairly well and said, "Son, you can't blame yourself for this. If she didn't confide in you or anyone else how could you know there was anything wrong?"

Ichigo frowned as he replied, "We…I…we should have known dad. After what she went through, there's no way she could have been doing as well as she seemed. I mean, at some point I think we all realized she was hiding how bad it was but we didn't want to pry."

Isshin clapped his hand on Ichigo's shoulder to make him look in his eyes, "Well, now that you know just do the best that you can, that's all any of us can do."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Yeah, I guess…" but his words were cut off by a piercing scream. Isshin and Ichigo shared a shocked expression before they both bolted for the door to the room Orihime was in. She was thrashing about on the bed, screaming and crying, incoherent words flooding out of her. By now Yuzu and Karin had rushed downstairs and were standing in the doorway with horrified looks on their faces.

"Inoue! Inoue calm down," Isshin was saying loudly but the girl couldn't hear him. She managed to wrench herself away from him and bolted for the door but Ichigo was there and caught her in his arms. She struggled violent, striking his chest and clawing at his face to get him to release her.

"NO! Kurosaki-kun, I have to get to Kurosaki-kun!" she was shouting hoarsely, tears streaming down her face, "Please, no, don't die, Kurosaki-kun, don't die!" Isshin and the girls stiffened at her words. Ichigo hadn't really given them details of what had happened in Hueco Mundo both because he didn't remember all of it and because he didn't want to worry them. Not knowing what else do to Ichigo increased his reiatsu level higher and higher hoping it would penetrate to her. Slowly she began to calm down and stopped thrashing against his hold. Then she slumped forward into his arms and embraced him about his waist, "Kurosaki-kun, you're…you're alive," she murmured. He held her up in his arms, eyes wide with the horror of what he'd just witnessed.

Finally Orihime seemed to come to herself and looking up into his face registered that this was no longer a dream! She was standing in a room that was not her own hugging the man she was in love with and his face looked as though he'd seen an unspeakable horror. She gasped and moved to step back but he tightened his grip and looked full into her eyes.

'"Inoue?" he began gently, "Are you ok?"

Wordlessly she shook her head and neglecting to notice the three pairs of eyes on them she leaned her head onto Ichigo's chest, "No, Kurosaki-kun, no, I'm not alright, not at all." He had no words of comfort to offer so he simply picked her up and sat down in a chair to hold her, stroking her hair as she cried quietly.

Isshin had ushered the girls out of the room and shut the door, telling them to go back to bed and they would talk in the morning. Leaning against the wall he placed a hand over his eyes and felt the warm trail of tears going down his face. His son and his friends had all suffered so horribly, but none worse it seemed than Inoue Orihime.

Walking to the phone he lifted the receiver and dialed. A voice came on the other end, complaining of being woken but silenced when Isshin spoke, "Kisuke, I need your help with something."

"Hmmm? And what might that be?" the former captain asked with a yawn.

"I don't know if you know but Inoue Orihime is not doing well, not at all," Isshin began and the shop keeper felt his heart lurch a little, "I think that…we need to do something to help her but I'm not sure what. She has no family, well, other than us, to help her but," he trailed off, his thoughts failing to come to completion. He wasn't even entirely sure why he'd called Kisuke but he was the first person that came to mind when he'd realized he needed help.

Kisuke was silent for a moment, thinking over what could be done. By now Yoruichi had come into the room where they kept the phone and gave him a questioning look. "It's Inoue-san," Kisuke answered.

The flash step goddess raised one eye brow, "She called you of all people?"

He winced slightly at the accusation in her tone before replying, "No, no, Isshin is on the phone, apparently Inoue-san is not doing well and we're discussing how to help her."

"Awfully quiet discussion," she murmured and Isshin chuckled when he heard her words over the line. She took the phone from Kisuke and spoke, "Isshin, I think I have an idea of how we can help Inoue-san, just leave it to us, we'll be in touch." He thanked her and they both hung up the phone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 2: "Alternative Medicine"

When Isshin had left Ichigo and Orihime alone in the spare room neither spoke for some time as he held her in his arms. She was warm and soft and even though he was troubled by what she was going through he suddenly felt at home holding her. It was a strange feeling that made him both happy and confused. Something was stirring in him that had begun almost as soon as they'd returned from Hueco Mundo. Feeling her shift in his grasp he was snapped back to the present and looked down at the top of her head. "Inoue?" he queried.

Orihime had been in and out of sleep for the past 20 minutes while Ichigo held her. Normally she'd be blushing crimson by now but she simply did not have the energy to. Her body was exhausted and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. But at the sound of his voice she stiffened and raised her head to look at him. His eyes were filled with worry but also with something else she couldn't figure out. Suddenly their proximity hit her like a ton of bricks and she leapt out of his arms, landing roughly on the floor. He uttered an exclamation of surprise but when he went to help her up she'd already managed to get on her feet.

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry for being such a burden," she said frantically.

" _A burden, she thinks she's a burden?"_ thought Ichigo, mystified by her words.

Then he noticed her wobble a bit and as she clutched her stomach was falling forward. He caught her and brought her to the bed, laying her down and covering her up. She was shivering now, teeth chattering as her eyes squeezed shut.

"Oi! Old man, get in here!" shouted Ichigo. Isshin appeared in the doorway a moment later and walked to the bed.

"Her body is still fighting the strong levels of drugs that were in her system, this is normal son, get another blanket but we'll need to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't spike a fever," Isshin instructed.

While Ichigo had gone to fulfill the task given him Orihime looked at Isshin with shame filled eyes, "Kurosaki-san," she stammered through chattering teeth, "I…I'm…so…so…sor…sorry."

"My dear, you have nothing to be sorry about. This is my job, yeah? We'll get you back to health soon. No, no don't talk, just lay still and let us help you ok?" She nodded her acquiescence and closed her eyes. By now Ichigo had returned with the extra blanket and a hot water bottle to place by her feet. Once she'd settled down and looked to be asleep Isshin motioned for Ichigo to follow him.

"Stay in the room with her, I'll get a cot for you, make sure to keep her warm but don't overheat her," Isshin said as he grabbed the spare cot and set it up. Ichigo merely nodded and laid down on his back, looking up to where Orihime lay in the bed. He took a deep breath and watched her while she slept. He felt a little bit like a creeper but he couldn't take his eyes away from her beautiful face.

" _What is going on with me?"_ he thought as he felt his eyelids getting heavy.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

Thankfully Orihime had managed to sleep the rest of the night through without nightmares. When she'd woken up the next day it was to find Yuzu checking on her. Ichigo had already risen and left before she knew he'd stayed with her the whole night.

"Good morning Inoue-san, how are you feeling?" she asked sweetly.

Orihime tried to reply but her throat was completely dry. She coughed slightly and Yuzu picked up a glass of water with a straw in it. Holding it front of Orihime she allowed her to drink her fill before putting it back down.

"Oh, that's better," Orihime said her voice slightly rough but at least she could now speak, "thank you Yuzu-chan, I'm feeling better, except that I'm really hungry."

"Oh that's a great sign," Yuzu said feeling her forehead. They'd managed to keep Orihime warm throughout the night without her spiking a fever. As Orihime laid back down on the bed she heard the door open and Isshin walked in.

"Ah, I see our patient is awake, how are you today Inoue-san?" he asked with a large smile on his face. Orihime thought it funny that he always seemed so happy.

"I'm feeling better, just hungry," she said softly before adding, "thank you for taking care of me."

"Of course my dear," he said gently before turning his attention to his daughter, "Yuzu, can you please make a light breakfast for Inoue. Some toast with light jam and one egg to get her started." Yuzu nodded and left the room to head to the kitchen.

"You don't have to bother, I can," Orhime had started to say as she struggled to sit up but Isshin placed his hands on her shoulders and directed her back down onto the bed.

"Inoue-san, you are still much too weak to be trying to take care of yourself. I've already sent a note to school with Ichigo that you will be out for today and tomorrow. We need to get your strength back up," he said firmly. Orihime blushed at the mention of Ichigo and hurriedly covered her face in embarrassment. She wasn't really sure all of what had happened the night before other than at some point she'd woken up in his arms. She hated being weak, especially in front of him.

"Inoue-san, there is no reason for embarrassment, please I'm a doctor after all," Isshin chided.

She removed her arms and gave him a weak smile, "Yes, Kurosaki-san, it's just…" she trailed off, her gaze averting from his but she looked back to him when he cleared his throat.

Looking down at her he said with the most serious look on his face she'd ever seen, "Inoue-san, you must forgive him. He…he doesn't understand girls because he has no one to teach him. Without Masaki," here he faltered slightly and she felt tears spring to her eyes on his behalf. She could tell he was struggling to go on so she placed her small hand on his bigger one causing their eyes to meet, "It's ok Kurosaki-san, it's not his fault or yours."

By now Yuzu had finished making Orihime her small breakfast. Isshin adjusted the bed so she was sitting up and pulled the sheet higher on her so she'd be more comfortable. Yuzu placed the tray on her lap and gave her a small smile before turning to leave. "Actually, Yuzu-chan, would you stay with me while I ate?" Orihime asked sheepishly. Yuzu's smile brightened and she nodded her head sitting down in the chair next to the bed. Isshin smiled too and left the girls alone so they could chat.

At the end of the day Tatsuki, Ishida and Chad had come with Ichigo to visit Orihime. Ishida had a bag with him and offered it to her as he explained, "Here are materials for the next project in handicrafts club. I thought you might like to get started on it while you're resting." His eyes were the softest she'd ever seen them and she was touched by his consideration.

She took the bag and said, "Thank you Ishida-kun, maybe you could stay a little after everyone leaves and show me what we're working on?" He nodded with a small smile.

Tatsuki had brought along their homework from that day. Chad advised he'd done the installation of her new door. Her eyes widened as she asked, "What happened to my door?"

Everyone looked at Ichigo whose face had gotten quite red at the question. Clearing his throat he said, "Urm, I had to break it down to get to you yesterday." Her eyebrows rose and she put her hand over her mouth.

The next moment everyone was shocked to hear her laughing, not giggling, but out right laughing as she said, "You silly goose, did you forget where the spare key was?" This brought immediate relief to the tension in the room and everyone started laughing, even Ichigo.

Orihime's laughter died away enough for her to say, "Thank you Chad, you didn't have to do that. I'll pay you back."

The massive teenager shook his head and replied, "No need Inoue-san, if I took money from anyone it would be from Ichigo for breaking it in the first place." This caused more laughter which brought Isshin into the room.

He smiled at the sight before him but then said, "Ok guys, I'm glad you've been able to make her feel better but she still needs lots of rest. Come back tomorrow."

Everyone complied with the exception of Ishida since Orihime had asked him to stay to go over the craft with her. Once he'd finished giving her the run down he squeezed her hand as he was making his goodbyes. At the front door he turned and shaking Isshin's hand said, "Thank you for taking such good care of her." Isshin nodded and the Quincy took his leave.

With everyone gone Yuzu started making dinner. "Should we have Inoue-san join us in here?" she asked her father.

"I don't think she'll be up to it yet, better serve her in her room," he replied.

"I'll take it in and sit with her," Ichigo said. Yuzu nodded and continued with her plans of a dumpling soup. When it was ready she served out two bowls and gave them to her brother.

Ichigo walked into the guest room and found Orihime at work on her sewing project. She smiled shyly at his entrance. "I thought I'd join you for dinner, if you don't mind?" he asked.

To his surprise she didn't demur, replying instead with, "I'd like that very much."

She set aside her craft as he sat the bowl of soup on the tray in front of her. Taking a seat near the bed he began eating his dinner and she followed suit. They were both quiet for the moment, enjoying the peace of the evening and each other's company.

Before long the silence got to be a little too much for Orihime and she broke it, "Kurosaki-kun, I never did say thank you for saving me. I can't believe I was that stupid." Isshin had filled her in on the details of her near overdose while Yuzu had been making dinner.

He frowned at her words before replying, "Inoue, you're not stupid. You were probably not thinking clearly because you were so damn tired. Anyone can make a mistake like that."

She blushed at his insistence and decided not to argue the point. They relapsed back into silence.

As they sat eating together Ichigo contemplated the new feelings he had begun to notice ever since they'd returned from Hueco Mundo. If he were truly honest with himself he would have said they'd started during the time Orihime was still held in captivity but he hadn't let himself dwell on them too much at the time. He'd been too focused on training and preparing for the war and the rescue.

If he did think about them he'd talked himself into believing he'd felt the same level of concern and determination he'd feel for any of his friends were they in the same situation. After all, he'd fought like hell to get Rukia back and he only thought of her as a friend.

Still, as he ate his soup during his silent musings, he was beginning to recognize the feelings he'd felt during that time and now were distinctly different. He just didn't know what to do about it right now.

Once they had both finished their meals, both lost in their thoughts ironically about each other, Ichigo removed the bowl from the tray and took it to the kitchen where he found Isshin talking to Yoruichi and Kisuke.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nice to see you too Ichigo," the purple haired woman said.

"Ichigo, we've come to talk with Inoue-san, we're hoping to be able to help her with her current situation," Kisuke offered.

Ichigo raised his eyebrow and turned his attention to his father, "They're who you called for help? Are you serious?"

"As much as your vote of confidence is appreciated," Yoruichi said sarcastically, "the only person whose opinion and decision matters is Inoue-san's."

The three of them made their way to the guest room, Ichigo following behind a beat later.

Isshin knocked and at his patient's consent of entrance opened the door. "Inoue-san, I have some friends here to see you." She looked past him and smiled at Kisuke and Yoruichi as they entered. Ichigo remained leaning in the doorway as the three adults took various seats in the room.

Yoruichi was the one to begin the conversation, "Inoue-san, I hope you are feeling better?" At a nod from the girl she continued, "Isshin has informed us of some of what has been going on because he's worried and thought we might be able to help."

Orihime looked curious but didn't say anything so Yoruichi continued, "My guess from what he told us of last night is that you are having nightmares, yes?"

Orihime nodded, her eyes casting down to her fingers which were fidgeting with the blanket.

"My suggestion is you need to go to counseling," the flash step goddess said and when Orihime's eyes widened in apprehension she continued quickly, "Not to a human counselor of course. Kisuke and I know of one who specializes in situations that arise from our unique lives." The proclamation only slightly lessened the nervousness Orihime felt. She was suddenly feeling very exposed and realized it was because Ichigo was there. Her eyes flicked to his presence in the doorway more than once in the impeding silence.

Clearing his throat Isshin stood and walked towards the door.

"Come on Ichigo, let's give them some privacy," he said placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Ichigo glared at him but one look at Orihime's face told him the old man was right. She didn't want him in here right now. A surprising amount of disappointment flooded his chest but he shook his head determined to believe it was just his normal insistence to protect her that he was feeling.

Once they had left and the door was shut Orihime took a deep breath with her eyes closed. She opened them again, looked Yoruichi in the eyes and spoke in a soft even voice, "I…I'm so tired. I'm just so tired of…everything. I'm tired of being afraid all the time, of feeling useless, of being a burden on everyone. I would be willing to meet with your friend but I don't have a lot of money to spend on something like that."

Kisuke leaned forward on his knees, his eyes downcast as he took a deep breath. "Inoue-san," he began but could not bring himself to meet her eyes, "I have always been a proud man. But I know I must apologize for what I said to you before the war. I should have never done that and can see it has caused significant damage to your self-worth, which was fragile to begin with. I don't say that to hurt you further," he said hastily but she reached out and grabbed his hand causing him to actually look at her face.

"Urahara-san, I forgave you a long time ago. Plus, you were right. I wasn't fit for that war. It's…it's obvious now given my current condition," she said with watery eyes.

He grasped her hand tightly, willing himself to go on, "No, Inoue-san, even though my intention was protection I went about it all the wrong way. I've done that for many years, I push my pupils harder than they can take sometimes. Anyway, all this is to say that I owe you, we all owe you because without you Kurosaki Ichigo would be dead and the war with Aizen would have been lost."

She gasped at his words. In all her self-loathing for her decision to go to Hueco Mundo and what that had resulted in she had not once thought of herself as being worthy of gratitude. Kisuke smiled at her face, almost seeming to read her thoughts as they passed through her head.

"Inoue-san, I want to help you get well. I will be able to arrange something for you so that you are able to get the help you need and deserve. You spend so much time worrying about and taking care of everyone else and it's time to take care of yourself."

 **Author's Note: I know Kisuke may seem OOC here but I'd like to think that he'd either figure out on his own or perhaps through some persuasion from Yoruichi that he had been wrong in what he'd said to Orihime. Most of this story will probably feel like characters are OOC but that's just part of the fun of fantasy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Obviously I am not medically trained or certified in any sort of mental health care so what I present here is completely fictional. I have no idea if what I have my OC character doing would help someone with Orihime's problems. So no one hold me accountable for poor psychological advice, ok? OK**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 3 – First Appointment

Orihime fidgeted nervously in the seat of the living room of the small cottage she had arrived to for her first appointment. She'd come directly from school which she decided was probably a bad idea since she hadn't had time to eat. But she had so many butterflies in her stomach that she doubted there would have been room for food anyway.

Staring at the wall across from her she watched the pendulum of the coo-coo clock swing two and fro. Back and forth, back and forth, it was almost hypnotizing her.

" _Unless it's the little blue men, maybe they've finally found the controls to the synapses of my brain,"_ she thought as her eyelids dropped.

Suddenly a door to her right flung open and she snapped to attention, back straight as a ramrod.

"Inoue Orihime?" called a soft voice and she looked up at the address.

"Ha…hai," she answered nervously staring at the silver haired woman who was looking at her through green shaded irises.

"Please, come in," the woman beckoned and after a moment's hesitation she complied. Once she was inside the door shut behind her causing her to flinch. "No need to be so nervous, Inoue-san," the friendly voice chided, "have a seat please." Once again Orihime did as she was told and sat down.

The woman sat down across from her but Orihime hadn't been able to make herself meet her eyes again yet. The silence wore on until it was almost unbearable for the young woman and she finally looked up.

"Ah, there you are," said the woman with a soft smile. Orihime returned the smile feeling silly to be so nervous.

"My name is Sasaki Kiyonna, I've heard much about you. It is an honor to meet you."

Orihime's eyes widened at the compliment causing the woman to chuckle, "I know much about you and your comrades Inoue-san, your fame has spread far and wide to those homed in Soul Society and to those who used to call it home."

The healers cheeks flushed a little at the thought and she shook her head, "Oh no, I mean, I can see why people would know about my friends, especially Kurosaki-kun, but me, well…I'm nothing special."

She was surprised as she watched the woman's eyes narrow almost looking…angry? No, they were too soft for anger. Perhaps, frustration? Whatever it was it brought Orihime's nervousness back full force.

"Now," Kiyonna's voice said sternly, "let's begin with the simple fact that you are not _nothing_. In fact, you are not a _thing_ at all; you are a person, an individual and important."

Orihime's eyes widened and her eyes were downcast again but snapped up when Kiyonna said, "Inoue-san look at me, you need to be able to face people even when they make you uncomfortable, ne?"

The healer nodded and worked determinedly to keep her eyes fixed on Kiyonna's face as she spoke, "I can see we have a lot of ground to cover so we best not delay any further."

Getting up she walked to her desk and as she reached in to a drawer Orihime took in her surroundings a bit more. The office was small, just big enough for the small brown suede couch she was sitting on, a leather high back office chair, a dark cherry wood desk and a cherry wood bookshelf filled with books. On the wall was a certificate of some kind and some pictures, though she did not have time to take in the memorialized faces before Kiyonna had turned back to her and handed her an orange leather journal with a pen looped through a piece of elastic on the binding.

"This journal is for you to write down your dreams, nightmares, thoughts, fear, anything you want. Do not feel like you have to write in order or with any sort of coherency. The point purely is to get out what is in your head onto paper and we can go over it together. Understand?"

Orihime nodded as she took the beautiful book into her hands. She touched the buttery soft leather gingerly and admired the beautiful black fountain pen resting in its loop.

Sitting back down across from her patient Kiyonna picked her a notebook and wrote something down before saying, "Now then, even though I'm sure there are many topics we will be covering the first I want to start with is probably one of the hardest. I want you to tell me in as much detail as possible what happened to you in Hueco Mundo."

Orihime gasped and felt the blood draining from her face. Kiyonna looked at her with softened eyes, "Inoue-san, the first thing we need to work on is getting you able to sleep through the night. I suspect that some of your trouble is stemming from you bottling everything up. Kisuke mentioned you have a tendency to do that so now is your free ticket to say anything and everything on your mind. I am not your friend, I am your counselor. While I care about your well being I will not sugar coat things and I will not let you hide from things, even yourself. So, come now, tell me everything from the beginning."

The girl in front of her hesitated. "Ano," she began, "it's a long story. If I had known what we were going to talk about would take so long I would have had dinner before coming." To emphasize her point her stomach growled loudly. Orihime's face flushed with embarrassment but Kiyonna merely chuckled and said, "In that case, we will take this to my kitchen. I have some food prepared and we may speak over a meal if you would like."

"Oh no," Orihime said waving her hands in front of her, "I could not impose on you like that. I…I'll be fine," she said hurriedly but then her stomach growled again.

Kiyonna fixed her with a pointed look and stood up, walking to the door and motioned for the girl to follow her. Orihime did not have the stomach (hungry or not) to disobey so she did as she was told.

Before long Kiyonna had placed a plate of steaming white rice, teriyaki chicken and stir fried vegetables in front of her. Before digging into the delicious food before her Orihime asked timidly, "Um, Sasaki-sama, if it is not too forward of me to ask, how do you know all you do about Soul Society?"

Kiyonna looked at her with kind eyes and replied, "It is not unreasonable to want to know more about me if you are going to be confiding your deepest secrets and fears to me Inoue-san. I was a former seated officer in Urahara-san's division. When he left I followed him."

"But, he's never mentioned you before now," Orihime said with some confusion.

"That is because until fairly recently I had asked him to keep my existence a secret. I am actually a certified counselor in the world of the living. It was only recently I extended my services to those who are spiritually manifest or aware."

"Oh I see," Orihime murmured taking a bite of food and swallowing it before continuing, "What made you change your mind?"

"The war," Kiyonna answered softly, "It harmed so many so deeply and there are none in Soul Society to help those who suffer under mental anguish. I can only do so much as I am only one person but still, I am one and I can do what I can to help."

Orihime smiled slightly at that and they continued the rest of their meal in silence.

Once the meal had been completed Kiyonna asked if she would like to return to her office and Orihime shook her head yes.

Settled in once again Kiyonna prompted Orihime to tell her about Hueco Mundo, beginning with when Ulquiorra came to take her.

Over the next two hours Orihime poured out the whole story. She cried every now again but was surprised at how she was mostly calm speaking about the horrible things that had happened to her before her friends had arrived to rescue her. Once she reached that point in her story Kiyonna stopped her.

"We will continue from there next week. This week I want you to keep your journal by your bedside and if you have a nightmare that wakes you I want you to write down everything you remember. I'm sure they are clear in your mind even now but I want you to wait until they are fresh. It may seem counterproductive to do so as it seems it that will just solidify them in your mind but I think getting them out onto something real, something tangible will help. Then we can analysis them together and see what can be done about getting them to stop."

 **Author's note: I know this is a little short but this was mostly to introduce the character of Kiyonna to the world.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 4 – Just a Friend?

As the weeks continued to pass and graduation was rapidly approaching Orihime had added two new items to her normal routine. She met once a week with Kiyonna on Friday evenings (so she could stay later than she could other nights) and she trained twice a week with Yoruichi on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Between the mental health exercises and the physical exercise she self confidence had begun to grow though she still had nightmares almost every night and struggled to get back to sleep. But she noticed that writing in her journal and going over her entries with Kiyonna was starting to help, if slowly.

She was walking home from the grocery store when she heard her name called, "Inoue! Oi, Inoue!" The voice caused her heart to almost jump out of her chest: Ichigo!

She hadn't really seen that much of him lately, aside from the various times he'd walked her home but it was always so awkward. It wasn't that she was trying to avoid him but ever since he'd taken her to his father to save her from her near overdose she was even less able to look him in the eye. Despite his assurances that it could have happened to anyone she felt stupid and embarrassed. Plus, it was just plain painful being around him.

" _But it's not his fault I'm too much of a coward to tell him how I feel,"_ she thought as she turned and plastered on the best smile she could muster.

"Here, let me carry those for you," he said and plucked the bags from her hands before she could properly protest. Silently he started walking towards her apartment so she fell into step with him. As the silence lingered Ichigo thought, " _Ok, so now that I'm with her what do I say?"_

" **How about, hey Queen, I'm crazy obsessed with you and want to screw you senseless? That should about sum it up don't you think?"**

Ichigo scowled and shouted, " _Shut the hell up and stay out of this!"_

" **Oh King, I am FAR from out of this, I'm right in the damn middle of it and your pervy dreams aren't helping matters for either of us!"**

Ichigo gritted his teeth but made no further reply.

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" he heard Orihime ask as she looked at his pissed off face.

"Erm? Yeah, sorry Inoue, I'm fine. Ho…how have you been?" he asked not sure why such a simple question was so hard to ask.

"I…I've been doing ok, doing better actually," she answered but didn't meet his eyes. He frowned slightly but didn't push it.

They'd reached the base of her stairs and she turned to take the bags from him. "Thank you for walking me home and carrying my groceries, you didn't have to go out of your way Kurosaki-kun."

"Well, it wasn't out of my way, I…I had actually been coming to see you," he replied with a faint blush.

"Oh?" she queried slightly surprised. " _What could he be coming to see me for?"_ She continued, "Did you need something?"

He frowned as Tatsuki's words all those weeks ago flooded his memory, _"You barely notice her when she's around but the second she's not here all of a sudden you give a crap! It's because you need something from her, right? Then of course you'd notice she wasn't here!"_ Did Inoue think the same as Tatsuki? That the only reason he would be seeking her out is because he needed something from her?

His silence, grim countenance and the fact that he had not relinquished his hold on the bags made Orihime shuffle her feet and look down at the ground. "Ano, Kurosaki-kun, are you sure you're alright?" she asked softly.

He shook his head and cleared his throat, "Ah, yeah, I'm fine. And the only thing I needed was check in on you, make sure you were doing ok."

Orihime's eyes widened slightly, " _He wanted to check on me?"_ Then again, she wasn't sure why she was so surprised. Ichigo was like that with everyone, particularly her she supposed since she had proven over and over again that she was not very good at taking care of herself.

She tugged faintly on the bags both their hands were holding as she said, "Well, thank you for your concern, Kurosaki-kun. I…erm…I should…" but she didn't know how to tell him to go. Moreover, she was surprised that she even wanted him to leave but realized she did. This whole exchange was getting more uncomfortable and she was tired. She wanted to go upstairs, make her dinner, take a bath and go to bed.

Ichigo became painfully aware of her discomfort and let go of the bags, wondering how he'd managed to screw up such a simple thing as walking the girl that he liked home.

" _Wait?! The girl that I like?!"_ he thought.

" **Finally the light bulb comes on,"** muttered his hollow and he cursed it to be quiet.

"You're welcome Inoue, I'll…I guess I'll see you around," he said and turned to walk back to his house, unsure of what now to do with the newfound realization that he liked Inoue Orihime WAY more than he should for her being "just a friend".

 **Author's Note: I know, another short one but it seems with this story my brain is working in more bite sized pieces as opposed to lengthy word filled novels for each chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 5 – Face Yourself

It had been six weeks since Orihime's first appointment with Kiyonna and she was surprised at how much better she was fairing already. She still had a long way to go but she'd already managed to get three full uninterrupted nights of sleep which considering her frequency of waking in the past three months was impressive.

Sitting across from the green eyed woman Orihime handed her journal to her. But instead of opening it to read she set it aside and looked back to the healer. Orihime was confused but waited in silence for her to explain.

"You've made incredible progress with your journaling Inoue-san so today I want to try something different. I mentioned when we first started meeting that there would be other areas we'd focus on in addition to your nightmares. Today I want to talk about some other aspects of your life that you haven't dealt with."

Orihime shifted uncomfortably but figured no matter how much she dreaded what was coming it was necessary. She trusted Kiyonna completely.

The kind hearted counselor saw the apprehension on her patient's face and said softly, "Inoue-san, you've consistently mentioned your desire to become stronger in relation to your physical and spiritual capabilities. But you must not neglect how your mental and emotional strengths affect those as well. You need to deal with all the things you've pushed down deep into yourself out of concern for "burdening" other people as you so frequently think you do. You were thrust into a life facing adult situations still as a child but now that you are on the threshold of actually becoming an adult the time for keeping silent or sugar coating things is over."

Orihime nodded her head weakly, realizing the truth of her words. For so long she kept things to herself, pushed them down deep into her heart and soul. She knew that her time in Hueco Mundo had wiped away so much of her naiveté but she found herself still withholding her true feelings out of consideration for others. At least that's what she told herself.

"Come, come Inoue-san, I can see the wheels turning in your brain. Share your thoughts with me," Kiyonna urged gently.

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, "Sasaki-sama, I don't really know where to start with this. I mean, it is true that I keep things hidden because I don't want to burden other people with my emotions or problems but I can see now that has only been making things worse for myself."

"Do you not think it is hard on your friends too?"

She winced slightly but knew the truth was what she needed to hear and deal with. It was all part of the process. Just as when poison sucked from a wound causes damage to the flesh the healing cannot truly begin until it is removed. Well, she had a lot of poison to extract.

She sighed in her reply, "I'm sure it is, but it just felt easier for everyone involved. Oh it's so hard to explain!" she ended with frustration as she put her hands to her eyes, trying to sort out her thoughts.

"Take your time, Inoue-san, and just like your journal do not think too hard on the words as they are coming out, just say what you want to say," Kiyonna encouraged. She knew that writing could only do so much, Orihime needed to hear from her own mouth the thoughts which had run around her head for so long. Only then could she sort out truth from lies.

Orihime removed her hands from her face and taking a deep breath tried to explain, "I know that so much of my behavior stems from my childhood with my parents. Even though the memories are brief flashes the emotions and weight they leave are heavy. I can't point to distinct events because I was so young but for my whole life every time I feel like I need to cry or want to complain or speak my opposition to something I feel terror. I feel sick and I cover up whatever I was thinking or saying with some nonsense. Somewhere along the way it became easier to deal with bewilderment and skeptical faces of people for my nonsense than pain, rejection or anger over my real thoughts and feelings. Does that make sense?"

Kiyonna nodded, grateful that she had made such an explanation on her own. She waited in silence for the girl to go on.

"I…I just don't know how to let these feelings and thoughts out. It's like I'm the jailer for my own prison of pain and self-loathing. I project this happy go lucky persona because that's what I think people want of me. I know, deep in my heart, that my true friends like me for all of me, but I'm still afraid."

"Afraid of what Inoue-san?"

"Afraid that if I let out any of the true darkness in my heart they will not want me anymore."

There, it was finally out in the open. "In fact, saying that out loud makes me realize that to some point I probably understand Kurosaki-kun's situation with his inner hollow better than most people," she said thoughtfully.

"Oh, how so?"

"Well, for him it's a physical separate being which of course makes it more volatile and dangerous. With me…I can envision a deep dark pool, it almost looks like tar. And in it I know my negative feelings reside, they boil and bubble, toil and trouble," she said and both chuckled at her little joke.

She continued her eyes on the ground deep in thought, "I'm afraid that if I let even one drop of it out, truly let it out, it will be like a dam breaking, flooding over my soul. It sounds so over dramatic saying it out loud."

Kiyonna shook her head as she replied, "It's not over dramatic Inoue-san. It's actually a great way to help you deal with it. By having a visualization of your feelings you can deconstruct and construct their meanings better. You can chose to focus on one at a time instead of them being all mixed together. You're employing methods of therapy I would most likely have prescribed anyway, so in one sense you are leaps and bounds ahead of most people."

Orihime smiled at that, actually feeling proud of herself.

Kiyonna continued, "Let's consider digging into that pit and seeing if we can get some of the poison out. Usually with what you are describing I find there are a few events which need to happen. One: there are people you need to forgive who are aware of their transgressions; Two: people you need to forgive who are unaware of their transgressions; Three: there are things you need to forgive yourself for. The first two kinds may sometimes require confrontation with the other party but that is not always the case."

She gave Orihime a moment to let this sink in before she spoke again, "My suspicion for you is that you will find it easier to forgive others faster than you forgive yourself. That tends to be most people's disposition but especially for those with such a large and kind heart as yours."

Orihime blushed slightly at the compliment, again taking a moment to think over what she'd just heard. Slowly she shook her head, "No, Sasaki-sama, I'm beginning to realize just how much bitterness I have in my heart towards certain people and it makes me disgusted with myself."

Kiyonna's eyebrows rose slightly at this, "Why disgusted Inoue-san?"

"Mostly because the things I am bitter about they have no control over or are completely unaware that I am being hurt. They are things which in the grand scheme of things feel so petty and trite but they bother me. Over and over they rear their ugly heads and I beat them back but they are never truly gone. I guess that's why the pit is there, ne?"

The silver haired woman nodded, "Yes indeed, but please remember that you are human. You were born with both positive and negative emotions. Please elaborate on what you are talking about, give me specific examples."

Orihime sighed, feeling really tired and not wanting to continue but knew she had to. Mulling it over she replied, "I am very jealous of Rukia Kuchiki. There are times I even think that I hate her but that's ridiculous because she's my friend!"

"Why? What makes you jealous about her?"

Orihime's eyes filled with tears, she just couldn't hold them back when it came to this subject. A few slid down her cheeks as she answered, "Because she holds the heart of the man I love and there's nothing I can do about it."

Kiyonna was a little taken aback by this declaration, but then recovered herself when she remembered how deep and true and real young and first loves went.

She asked gently, "You know this for sure? You have no doubt?" She saw her question cause a flicker in Orihime's eyes, but then she shook her head.

"I…I just can't see how it could be any other way, he…they just have this connection. He stormed Soul Society for her."

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Kiyonna said softly and Orihime nodded.

Kiyonna blinked in confusion, "While it is admirable what he did for Kuchiki-san and all of Soul Society he is also the man who defied the highest authority in it to enter Hueco Mundo and rescue you. He quite literally came back from the dead because you called to him."

Orihime smiled sadly, "He would do that for any of his friends."

"But Inoue-san, do you see how contradictory your thinking is?"

The girl frowned, clearly perplexed so Kiyonna continued, "In one breath you say he loves Kuchiki-san because he rescued her from certain death in Soul Society. But in the next you say doing what he did for you in Hueco Mundo isn't profound because he would do it for anyone. If that is true do you not think it could be his rescue of Kuchiki-san was the same? A man driven to protect and save his _friend?"_

Orihime's eyes widened as she turned this over in her mind. She had so convinced herself of a romance between Ichigo and Rukia that this line of reasoning never even occurred to her.

Kiyonna smiled softly as Orihime shook her head, clearly overwhelmed with the prospect that things were not as hopeless as they once seemed.

"Now, I will say that I think it wiser if you continue to focus on healing yourself before you do anything with this new perspective, although I do believe at some point you should confess your feelings to him. Keeping them bottled up has not fared well for you and facing that fear will be good for you, even if the outcome is not how you wish it."

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

Later that night in Karakura the subject of their conversation was busy dealing with some rather large hollows.

"Damn it," Ichigo hissed through his teeth a blood ran down his arm. He'd been hit once or twice already and was having trouble keeping a grip on his sword.

He leapt in the air again and shouted, "Getsuga tenshou!" his attack flying through the night connecting with his target. Finally one of the hollows was destroyed and he made for the other one.

Before he could reach it however he saw a streak come down and crash through its mask. The hollow shrieked and evaporated as Ichigo and the second warrior landed across the field from each other. Standing in front of him was Shuhei Hisagi.

"Oi, Shuhei! What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted as they made their way towards each other.

"Huh, well for starters saving your ass," Shuhei retorted with a smirk.

"Tch, I was doing fine!" Ichigo said heatedly.

"Oh really, so that isn't blood seeping out of your flesh right now?" asked the tattooed faced man.

Ichigo just rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm here to lend some back up. Apparently the hollow situation is expected to continue to be a problem so Yamamoto sent me here to lend a hand. Plus, won't you be taking off soon? Almost done with high school yeah?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah, I'm going to be headed to John Hopkins University in the fall."

Shuhei raised his eyebrows, "So you're leaving Japan? Wow, that's…that's a big deal."

Ichigo shrugged, "Well, I figured it was time to get out of here for a while. Plus I qualified for a half ride scholarship and with a couple grants and loans should be ok."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out."

Ichigo heaved a deep sigh as he thought, " _I wish I had it all figured out."_ He'd actually only just decided the day before to accept the scholarship and go to America. Truthfully he'd wanted to stay behind with his friends but would never admit that, he was not one to show sentiment.

"Oi, what's with the melancholy face?" Shuhei asked.

"Huh? Nothing, just this damn wound burns," Ichigo muttered.

"So just have Inoue-san heal it. Speaking of which, where is she?"

Ichigo looked down, "Oh, she's busy tonight, but it's ok. I'll be fine soon enough."

They'd rounded a corner and as they did both noticed said healer walking back from the train station.

"Speak of an angel," said Shuhei, "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful she is." Ichigo's eyebrow twitched and he felt his hollow growl but he didn't say anything.

"Oi, Inoue!" he said and she turned at his voice, smiling and walking up to them.

"Good evening Hisagi Fukutaichou, good evening Kurosaki-kun," she greeted cheerily as she reached them but when her eyes fell on the blood dripping from Ichigo's arm her expression turned to one of alarm.

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, you're injured! Soten Kishun," she said and her healing dome encased him, quickly healing his arm and fatigued body.

When she'd finished he smiled and said, "Thanks Inoue." She smiled back and tucked her hair behind her ears. The silence stretched for a moment before Orihime's eyebrows shot up and she turned to Shuhei again, "I'm sorry Hisagi Fukutaichou, how have you been? What are you doing in Karakura?

He smiled at her politeness and replied, "I'm here to offer back up for Kurosaki. And you can drop the formality Inoue-san, just call me Shuhei."

She smiled shyly before replying, "Ano, you earned your position, you should be proud. But I'll honor your request Shuhei-kun." He laughed at her still having to tack on some sort of honorific but figured it was the best he was going to get. Their whole exchange had Ichigo's tick returning and he cleared his throat.

"So, anyway, Inoue, how did your meeting go?" he asked looking in her eyes.

She smiled slightly, "Really good, thank you for asking Kurosaki-kun."

Shuhei was very much aware of his third wheel status but couldn't help enjoying making the strawberry twitch. He could tell he wanted him to leave.

"Well, I guess since I'm here now I'll take over patrol for tonight. Why don't you see Inoue-san home, eh Ichigo?" he asked with a smirk and a wink.

Ichigo felt his blush rising and fought against it. The last thing he needed was another death god teasing him about his love life, or rather lack thereof, not that he understood why he cared that much now.

"Yeah, see you around," he answered and walked towards Inoue.

"See you later Shuhei-kun, come over tomorrow evening for tea before your patrol, I'd love to catch up!" she said with a dazzling smile.

"Thanks Inoue-san, I'll do that," he replied with a smile of his own and then took off before the substitute could react.

As they were walking Ichigo couldn't resist asking, "So, I didn't know you were close to Shuhei?"

Orihime flailed her hands, "Oh no, I'm not…not really. Just the last time Rangiku was visiting he was with her instead of her taichou and I got to know him a little better. They're good friends so I figure I can probably get all the Seireitei news from him."

This made Ichigo only feel slightly better. He knew the co-lieutenant of the ninth division had a reputation as being somewhat of a lady's man and didn't like the idea of him spending time alone with Inoue. Then again, lately Ichigo didn't like the idea of any man spending time alone with her. He'd even found himself having jealous pangs about Chad and Ishida for crying out loud! And here he was planning on going clear across the ocean away from her. What the hell was he thinking?

"Kurosaki-kun has been very reflective lately," he heard the soft voice of the woman beside him say. It snapped him out of his musings and he looked at her. Even in the subtle light of the street lamps above them she was radiant. " _What the hell? Radiant?! Since when do I think of her as radiant?"_

"Sorry, Inoue, just a lot on my mind lately with graduation coming up and all that," he said sheepishly.

"Oh it's ok, I understand. Have you put out your applications to colleges yet? I'm afraid I'll only be able to afford the local community college for now. I applied for some grants and scholarships but haven't heard anything yet," she supplied.

"You still have all summer, could still get some positive responses," he said encouragingly, glad that they finally seemed to be able to hold a conversation again.

"True, but I think I'd like to stay here for at least the first year. Then again, it would be exciting to go somewhere new!" she said her eyes shining.

"Yeah," he said but couldn't bring himself to tell her yet that he was going somewhere new.

Trying to change the subject before she asked him about his college choice again he asked if she'd tried any new recipes lately. That set her off for a good five minutes and he relaxed just listening to her talk.

" _This is nice, this is easy. I don't know why we'd been having so much trouble before,"_ he thought as she went on about some sort of bread using dates and sweet bean paste with white chocolate sauce. The whole thing sounded horrid but her enthusiasm had him thinking he may just be fool enough to try it if she ever did make it.

They'd reached her stairs by now and she offered for him to come up for tea. Thinking about the time he declined, "Sorry Inoue, maybe next time, I really have to get back home."

She nodded as she yawned, "You're right, I've had a long day too. Well, thank you for walking me home, I'll see you on Monday!"

With that she turned and headed up the stairs, unlocked her door and waving goodnight shut it again.

Ichigo's shoulders slumped as he turned to walk back to his house.

" **When are you going to grow a pair and tell her you want her?"** he heard his unwelcome mind guest say. He elected to ignore him, prompting further speech, " **Fine King, be an idiot. It will be your own damn fault when that tattooed bastard or any other guy man enough to ask her out steals her away for good. You're so freaking stupid."**

Ichigo had made it back to his window by then and leapt up into his room, reconnecting with his body which lay on his bed. Blinking up at the ceiling he mulled over what to do about his growing feelings for Inoue. " _Growing? More like exploding,"_ he thought to himself. No closer to an answer an hour later he finally succumbed to sleep only to be greeted by her beautiful visage in his dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 6 – Boundaries

The next day Ichigo was feeling restless and irritable. He had a bunch of chores to handle at home and then was helping his dad at the clinic because Yuzu had a party to go to and Karin had two scrimmage games. Thankfully it was a fairly quiet morning and afternoon consisting of someone with a sprained ankle and another with an allergic reaction to peanuts, both quickly dealt with by Isshin.

"And now my son," Isshin said cheerily as they sat at the kitchen table for lunch, "tell me how Inoue-san is doing?"

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, not really wanting to talk about her, especially with his father who when he wanted to could be amazingly perceptive and Ichigo was not in the mood for dealing with his insights and advice.

"Really? You have no idea," he pressed making Ichigo scowl deeper.

The silence went on for a bit before Isshin asked, "Have you told her you're leaving for America in the fall?"

Ichigo scraped the chair backwards sharply and stalked out of the room. His father sighed, "That would be a no," and rubbed his forehead. A moment later he heard the front door slam.

Ichigo trudged down the street without a particular destination in mind, the early evening sun shining gently as it sunk into the west. He was becoming more and more certain that he had deep feelings for Inoue, but had no clue what to do about them. He'd never had romantic feelings for anybody before in his life and certain had not expected to develop them for one of his nakama! Before he knew it he found himself at the graveyard. He walked up the steep hill to his mother's grave and sat down in front of it.

"Hi mom, looks like I've come a little early this year," he began, "Kami, I wish you were here right now, though I doubt I'd talk to you as easily. I…I just don't know what to do," he ended softly. Dropping his head to his chest he took a deep breath.

"There's…there's this girl, mom, that I like. I mean, I really like her and I'm fairly certain she likes me too, or that may just be wishful thinking on my part. But…I just can't bring myself to tell her. Why? Why can't I tell her?" He knew of course that he would not get an answer but sat there for a while longer, wishing for some sort of epiphany to come.

"Why am I even considering pursuing anything with her? I'll be leaving to America in three months time," he said out loud, "but I can't…I can't stop thinking about holding her mom. Just holding her, ok, maybe kissing a little but," he blushed even though he knew she couldn't hear him, "it's not fair to her. And that's even assuming she liked me back. I could confess and have the whole thing blow up in my face and lose her as a friend."

He thought on that for a moment and decided that outcome was unlikely. Orihime wasn't like that. If she didn't return his feelings she would be honest about it and after some awkwardness they'd most likely continue on as friends. Did that mean he should confess and if it _did_ blow up in his face it would be ok because he was already leaving town? But what if she did return his feelings? Could he really ask her to enter in a long distance relationship like that? Did he really even want to start a relationship at all?

Then there was the whole issue of putting her in danger. He knew of course that she could defend herself to a point but if they entered into a romantic relationship would that paint an even bigger target on her back? "But that's her choice right mom? I mean, am I selfish to potentially place her in more danger? Would that even happen?" he mused out loud.

Ichigo stretched out on his back looking up into the sky as it turned from a dusky rose to violet to deep indigo and the stars began to glimmer and glow. As he lay there he reflected on his options. It was odd for him to not instinctually know what to do, that was how he lived most of his life. Eventually he let the peace of his surroundings lull him into a light slumber the coolness of the evening a relief to his overheated mind.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

At home Orihime had just finished preparing tea for a very tired looking Shuhei.

"Shuhei-kun you look worn out, did you not sleep well?" she asked as she placed the tea and a few cookies in front of him. Taking a long sip of the tea before answering Shuhei looked over the table at her.

"No, Inoue-san, I didn't. Staying at Urahara's shop during the day is difficult."

"Oh why?"

"Because it's when most of his customers are coming in and out and every time they do there's a bell chime. Then if there are people training I can feel the reiatsu pressure spikes. If it's not that then it's those stupid kids arguing and fighting all the damn time."

Orihime looked at him with sympathy filled eyes. " _If he doesn't get enough sleep he won't be able to fight the hollows as well,"_ she thought. She knew he was probably used to dealing with fatigue and whatnot, after all he was a fukutaichou and had to be able to handle any and all situations, but there were limits!

"Ano, Shuhei-kun, if you would like you can stay here," she offered. He stared at her.

"You're serious?" he asked as he continued to stare.

"Of course, I wouldn't offer it if I didn't mean it! I mean, I'm at school all day then work or training so it will be nice and quiet for you to get your rest. This neighborhood is quiet during the day time, you'll sleep well I think. I have a spare futon I can put out for you in the living room."

He was floored by her generosity. Here he was, someone she barely knew, and she was offering her home as a bed and breakfast. Or in his case dinner.

"Well, Inoue-san, if you really don't mind I would love to take you up on your offer," he said with a smile.

She smiled in return, "Of course! You can start tomorrow! Just bring your stuff after your shift tonight. I'll try to be as quiet as possible in the morning."

"Don't worry about it, I just appreciate that I'll have an opportunity for uninterrupted sleep!" he said excitedly.

She nodded, thinking about how much she was appreciating her ability to sleep through the night as well. Ever since Kiyonna had introduced the idea of dream substitution to her she'd been sleeping better. If she woke up from a nightmare she'd write down what she _wanted_ to have happen and would read through it three times before going back to sleep. With the fresh images in her mind she was able to turn the tide on her terrors and it was doing wonders for her sleep and her confidence.

As they were drinking their tea Shuhei filled Orihime in on the latest gossip he'd heard from Rangiku. It wasn't as detailed as it would have been first hand from the busty shinigami but it served to quell her appetite for news of her friends in Soul Society. She'd squealed with delight when he told her about Renji confessing his feelings to Rukia and she'd accepted his proposition to court her. Surprisingly her brother had given his blessing for them as well.

" _I guess I really was worrying about her and Ichigo for nothing. Imagine, all those tears and sleepless nights over nothing at all,"_ she thought ruefully.

Standing up after finishing his tea Shuhei said, "Ok Inoue-san, I have to get to my patrol but thank you for the tea and for a quiet place to crash. Seriously, I owe you big time."

"Oh it's no trouble at all. I hope you have a quiet night," she said.

"I don't, need to keep the skills up you know?" he countered with a cocky grin. As he opened the door he said, "See you in the morning," but as he turned to go he was met with the face of Ichigo.

"What was that about the morning?" he asked his voice low and dangerous.

Shuhei felt his neck bristle at the tone as he thought, " _Who does he think he is? It's her home; she can do what she likes!"_ But instead he answered the question simply, "Inoue-san listened to me bitch about how annoying it is staying at Urahara's during the day and very graciously offered her home as a place of retreat since she won't be here during daylight hours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a patrol to get to."

He went to leave but was shoved back into the room by Ichigo's firm hand. Narrowing his eyes he exclaimed, "What the hell is your problem Kurosaki?!"

"There is no way in hell you are staying here, alone, with her," Ichigo growled out.

Orihime's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with her hands. " _What on earth has gotten into him?"_ she thought watching the exchange. But then she shook her head and realized she needed to get involved. As much as she appreciated Ichigo's protective nature he really had no say in the matter.

Surprisingly Shuhei hadn't replied almost as if he knew she was getting ready to speak so he held his tongue (and his fist) at bay.

"Kurosaki-kun, I…"her voice faltered when he whipped his fierce gaze to her but she cleared her throat, squared her shoulders and made herself look him in the eye, "I offered for him to stay here. He didn't ask, he isn't imposing and I won't be here anyway."

"Inoue, you shouldn't have a man staying at your place alone, it's…it's not right," Ichigo said, floundering for reasons because he didn't want to say out loud the true cause of his outburst.

He saw her eyes hardened, something he'd rarely seen, and it was disconcerting to be on the receiving end of that look. Funny, Ichigo had stared down some of the most fearsome opponents but facing an angry looking Inoue gave him momentary pause.

"Kuchiki-san stayed at your house, in your _room_ ," she countered.

"That was different," he snapped. This was not going well and he knew he was crashing and burning.

But she wasn't backing down, "I agree it was different. The difference being she stayed in your room, in your closet while you were sleeping at night. But Shuhei-kun will be staying here during the day while I'm gone in my living room. So really, I think the inappropriate arrangement was yours and Kuchiki-san's, not mine and Shuhei-kun's."

Both men's eyes widened at her calm retort. Shuhei may not have known the extensive details of the relationship between these two but he knew he'd just witnessed a significant event for them.

Ichigo was stunned to silence. Never had Inoue spoken to him like this before. He was so used to her just going along with whatever he said and following his lead. This was like a splash of very cold water.

Ichigo really hadn't had much of a plan when he'd decided to come see her but this was the last thing he'd ever expected to happen. He felt like the ground had become sand and he was sinking into it. He'd known the moment he'd challenged Shuhei that he'd crossed a boundary he had no right to. He wasn't her boyfriend and even if he were he would still not have had the right to say who could or could not stay in her home.

With no idea what to do he turned angrily on Shuhei and ground out between clenched teeth, "I'll take the patrol tonight," before he turned and headed back down the stairs. He was so pent up and pissed off that he hoped he'd have multiple hollows tonight, hell, even as arrant Arrancar, just so he could kill something.

Stunned Shuhei stepped back into Orihime's apartment and shut the door. The moment it closed he heard her let out a choked sob and whipped around to face her. She had her hands over her face and was crying.

"Damn it," he whispered and headed over to her, not really sure if he should hug her or not. He wasn't sure they were on those terms. But she made the decision for him and leaned her hand covered face on his chest. Slowly he brought his hands up and settled them loosely on her back.

"Damn it Inoue-san, I'm sorry. I had no idea," he began but she suddenly backed away from him, wiping her eyes and trying to stop her tears while shaking her head.

"No, Shuhei-kun, it…it was time that I stood up for myself. Kurosaki-kun," here she faltered slightly but clenched her fist to make herself keep going, "Kurosaki-kun always feels he has to protect me. But, I need him to see me as a capable person and not a fragile liability."

Shuhei merely nodded and patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She shook her head again, as if she were trying to fling away her tears and looked up into his eyes.

"Well, since Kurosaki-kun gave you the night off why don't you gather your stuff from Urahara-san's and come back? We can watch a movie," she said but this time she didn't plaster a fake smile on her face. She was still sad and a little shaken but for some reason she didn't mind letting Shuhei see her like that.

He nodded, opened the door, and shunpo'd to the shop. Entering into his gigai he gathered his belongings (not that there was much) and informed Kisuke of the change in his lodgings. The man his hid smirk behind his fan and nodded.

 **Author's note: Ok, so maybe there is a little more angst to be had than I thought. But given what they've both gone through I thought it appropriate to show a slower progression to romance. Anyway, hopefully it will be worth the wait.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo. Nor do I own anything to do with Soul Eater. Also, I know Ichigo will appear OOC but this is pretty much that type of story. Hopefully it is enjoyable to see him stretch and grow up a bit. Also, I was listening to Ellie Goulding "Biggest Mistake" while writing the end of this chapter and editing. Music of course is very inspiration for creation and I hope you'll give it a listen to get you into the tone of this chapter if you like.**

Chapter 7 – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

After storming out of Orihime's apartment Ichigo had run post haste to his home. Flying up the stairs, and ignoring all calls and protests from his family, he entered his room and slammed the door, taking a second to click the lock in place. The next moment he'd grabbed his spirit badge out of his pocket and slammed it against his chest, allowing his now limp body to fall onto the bed before he shunpo'd out of the window and into the coolness of the night.

" **King! What the hell is the matter with you,"** his hollow shouted angrily, " **Why did you leave that shinigami bastard alone with her?! That was precisely what you wanted to** _ **avoid**_ **and now you've practically catapulted her into his arms by acting like a complete moron!"**

Ichigo couldn't respond; he was just too angry, mostly with himself, at the whole stupid situation. When he'd been on his way to Inoue's he had argued with himself the whole way on whether he was going there to tell her about leaving for America, that he has feelings for her, or both.

His mind was fully committed to going to Boston and truth be told it was too late to back out now but his heart…his heart was sorely tried with leaving Karakura, his family, his friends, hell even his substitute shinigami duties. But most of all, when he was one hundred percent honest with himself, his heart did not want to leave Orihime.

He'd never fallen prey to this type of emotional turmoil before and it both pissed him off and unnerved him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this had to happen sooner or later. He may be a hard-headed ass but he obviously wasn't emotionless!

But these feelings and physical experiences; the tightening in his chest when he thought of leaving Karakura, the lack of oxygen he felt sometimes when he'd look at Orihime and be overwhelmed with her beauty, the light headedness he felt whenever he thought it possible that she'd have affections for him or the sheer rage he felt if he thought of someone else being with her. Surely these could not be how he'd feel if he were…in love? Was this what it felt like to be in love with someone?

Ichigo had never really give love a second thought. He knew he loved his family (even his father but he'd never tell him that). Of course, he never really _told_ his sisters that either. It was implied and that seemed to be enough for them. He supposed the protectiveness he felt over his friends, both male and female, amounted to some sort of affection for them, but again, he wasn't sure it was love. Then there was Orihime.

Though he knew it wasn't really that much time since she'd gone from someone he knew casually through Tatuski to being one of his nakama he had a hard time recalling his life without her. But more alarming to him was how he increasingly could not imagine his future without her.

He didn't really let people in either because he wasn't interested or because he didn't want to be bothered when they left. However, his experiences as a substitute shinigami had provided the lesson of true friendship and comradeship.

Oblivious as he could seem, Ichigo was not unaware that he took much more than he gave from the people around him. Especially from people like Inoue Orihime who gave of herself so freely and completely.

And tonight he'd managed to make a complete ass of himself in front of her. Not just that, he had been a complete ass _to_ her. He finally stopped moving and heaved a great sigh. _"Why could there not be any hollows, tonight of all nights,"_ he thought but realized he'd thought too soon as a huge bellow sounded from across the town. With a sardonic grin he flew off in the direction of his latest prey glad that he would be able to vent some of his frustration tonight without having to take to the underground.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

At Orihime's, she and Shuhei had also heard the bellow and felt the spiritual pressure of this newcomer. The next moment, however, they felt Ichigo's reiatsu flying towards it. Know he would take care of the hollow they went back to watching the TV.

Instead of a movie Orihime had decided on sharing with her new friend the awesomeness of one of her favorite animes: Soul Eater.

Shuhei thought it ironic that someone who already dealt with persons of the spiritual world would take so much enjoyment in a show about, well, basically soul reapers and the afterlife. Though, he had to admit, the music alone was pretty kickass.

They'd already made it through episode one and were well into number two when they felt another hollow appear, then another. When the fourth hollow had appeared Shuhei stood up and got out of his gigai.

"I don't care what Kurosaki said, I'm going out there to help him," he said as he made his way to the door.

"I'm coming with you," Orihime said and moved to follow him.

He turned and said, "Inoue-san, I don't think…" but before he could voice his protest she had walked past him without a word more and down the stairs. He closed his eyes and sighed, "You're going to give me much ground to stand on," he muttered as he shut the door and followed her. She'd already reached the bottom of the stairs and was beginning to run in the direction of the battle when he shunpo'd next to her and caught her around her waist.

She gasped at the sudden contact but smiled at him as they made their way to the epicenter of the fight. Ichigo, while not doing badly, was not doing well and could definitely use the help he would never ask for.

Shuhei took Orihime up to one of the roof tops and before turning to enter the fray said sternly, "Stay here, Inoue-san, you have a good view from here but are far enough away that we can protect you. I know you're capable but you can't move as fast as them. Guard yourself, we'll be back soon." She nodded and watched as he flew to the fight brandishing Kazeshini.

"Shuhei," shouted Ichigo as he swung Zangetsu into one of the arms of the latest hollow he was fighting, "what the hell are you doing here and why did you bring Inoue?!"

"We don't have time for this right now Kurosaki, focus on the hollow fight, you and I can fight later," he responded irritated as he swung one of his chained blades into the flesh of another hollow.

Orihime had her hands clenched in front of her as she watched the battle. No matter how many times she'd seen Ichigo fight she was in awe. He was so fast, so powerful. But as she continued to watch both he and Shuhei she could see what she'd known before but recognized more easily now: he could be exceptionally reckless.

He charged in without much thought to his attacks and it left his vulnerable sometimes. She knew that she was not well versed in fighting, having allotted herself to a role of defense and healing rather than offense, but even she could see how some of his choices were not optimal.

Just as she was finishing her thought she saw one of the hollows make an abrupt turn. When Ichigo went to pursue he failed to notice he was caught in the cross fire of one of Shuhei's kido blasts.

"Santen Kesshun," Orihime shouted flinging her shield up just in time for the blast to hit. The resulting explosion shattered the shield and flung Ichigo and the hollow in opposite directions but it had stopped the kido from hitting him.

Though stunned Ichigo and Shuhei continued the fight. The hollows were surprisingly quick and it was proving difficult to land direct hits to their masks. They'd finally managed to dispatch two of the four but the remaining two were the quickest.

Orihime decided to lend a hand and summoned Tsubaki, focusing on the hollow nearest her which Ichigo had driven against the building. Focusing all her attention on its mask she felt the connection and watched with jubilation as Tsubaki made contact, successfully shattering the mask and turning the hollow to dust.

Between the two of them Ichigo and Shuhei were able to overwhelm the remaining hollow. Soon the streets were quiet again, save for the sounds of car alarms and some mild screaming about the "damn random explosions" that seemed to happen in Karakura from time to time.

With the threat of danger over, at least for the time being, Ichigo and Shuhei made their way over to Orihime.

Before either of them could speak or get at each other's throats Orihime said, "Kurosaki-kun, I didn't give Shuhei-kun a choice in the matter. I told him I was coming and that was that. Please don't be angry with him." She cast her eyes down knowing he was upset with her presence and not being able to meet his fierce gaze.

Ichigo heaved Zangetsu onto his back and threw Shuhei a murderous look but realized there was little he could say. What was done was done and all in all it had been a good thing she was here.

" **Not that I'm one for sentiment King but maybe you should tell her that?"** his hollow asked sarcastically. Really, the peanut gallery was lively today.

He stepped over to her, placing a hand on her should which caused her to slide her eyes up to his face. " _Gosh, even after an intense fight like that he still looks gorgeous! Maybe even more so because he's flushed from the heat of battle…"_ thought Orihime and then blushed madly at the next thoughts which entered her head. " _Really, you'd think I could keep my mind out of the gutter,"_ she thought as embarrassment over took her. She realized he was trying to say something and forced herself to pay attention, lest she missed it.

"Inoue," he said with his hand still on her shoulder, "I'm glad you're here."

"Eh?" she said puzzled, "You mean you're not mad?"

Ichigo frowned slightly but said, "I won't say I wasn't when I first saw you. But, without you I would be kido fodder. Not to mention we'd still have that damned flying hollow to deal with had you not sent Tsubaki."

Orihime almost fell over she was so surprised. Kurosaki Ichigo, _glad_ , that she was present at a fight? _Thanking_ her for her help? Sure, he thanked her for her healing, but whenever she tried to fight he'd always tell her she didn't have to. But to her ears she heard that she _shouldn't_ and that had begun to frustrate her. So for him to acknowledge her abilities, especially in that realm, well, she couldn't believe it.

Shuhei had been standing off a bit watching them talk and decided to just leave. He doubted they would even notice but he didn't mind. He was just glad they were talking.

At the moment talking had ceased and the two teenagers were looking at each other but that ended when Ichigo opened his mouth with his next surprise, "Inoue, I…I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier this evening."

That time she almost did fall over but just managed not to. If he felt her shift he didn't let on other than to grip her shoulder a bit tighter to steady her. He didn't elaborate, didn't provide an explanation for his behavior but for her the apology was enough. It was done, finished with and they could move forward.

She smiled and said bashfully, "Thank you, um…I forgive you."

He returned the smile slightly and replied, "Thanks. Um...here, I'll take you back to your place. Shuhei can take patrol over for now."

Stepping closer to her he bent down and gathered her into his arms bridal style eliciting a slight squeak from her when he picked her up. Her cheeks were flaming red but he barely noticed because he'd averted his gaze from her so that she would not see his cheeks aflame.

Once he'd landed on her porch he decided he did still need to talk to her, before someone else blurted out what he should be the one to tell her.

"Inoue," he began and she turned back to face him, "the reason I came over tonight was I wanted to tell you something. I'm," he tried to leave out the strain in his voice that he felt in his throat, "I'm going to be leaving in the fall for Boston. I got accepted to John Hopkins University."

The girl before him blinked once, twice, three times and then shook her head as if she were coming out of trance.

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, that's so amazing! Congratulations!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands.

Inexplicably Ichigo felt disappointed at her reaction and chastised himself for it. " _What did you want? For her to break down and sob at the revelation that you're leaving?"_ he thought disgustedly at himself.

He felt it ironic: this was the one time in the entirety of their friendship where he would not have minded if she shed a fear tears but here she was exclaiming her joy and support of his impending departure.

What he didn't know of course was that Orihime's heart had just shattered into a million pieces and she was trying desperately to not show it.

" _No, I will not cry! I will not show sadness for his happiness! This is so good for Kurosaki-kun and I will not be selfish,"_ she scolded to herself.

"Well, thanks," she heard him say and something about his tone and the look in his eyes caught her attention. " _Is he not happy about this?"_ she thought but couldn't understand why.

"We'll have to have a big send off celebration and graduation is already next week," she said beaming at him. She'd turned up her smile wattage trying to push away her heartbreak. They still had the summer right?

He merely nodded, suddenly too tired to carry on this conversation. He'd told her, gotten her reaction. There was nothing more to do at this point. He'd briefly debated telling her his feelings but…somehow it just didn't seem right now. Maybe it would never feel right because it wasn't meant to be. He just didn't know right now and because he wasn't sure he wasn't going to risk it.

"Right, so, um, I better get going to help Shuhei. Have a good night Inoue, see you on Monday," Ichigo said and shunpo'd away.

Watching him go Orihime let the tears go from her eyes and they streamed steadily down her cheeks, pattering unheeded onto the concrete pad of her porch.

 **Author's Note: I know, I know, more angst, more pain for these kids, but really, the pay off will just be that much sweeter right?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

 **This chapter begins with a time jump to get us propelled a little more forward in this story.**

Chapter 8 – Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

**7 Months Later**

The crisp clean air both invigorated and burned Ichigo's lungs as he trudged back to his dorm apartment. It had been the last day of classes before Christmas vacation and he was thankful for the break. His classes had been fairly challenging and it was nice to know he'd have some time to breathe. He had one book he had to read during the break but he was a quick reader and planned to get it done in the first few days so he didn't have to worry about it the rest of the time.

He'd really hoped he would have been able to go back to Japan for the holiday but it just wasn't in the cards. He couldn't afford to take time off from his part time job and the ticket had been too expensive. " _Plus, isn't the whole point of coming here to be on my own for a while,"_ he thought somewhat bitterly.

He knew being away from home would be different but he really hadn't expected to miss it _this_ much.

He'd reached his dorm door and unlocked the door. Stamping his feet on the mat before crossing the threshold he stopped just inside the door to take off his muddy boots and put them on the tile mat he and his roommate had set up. They had a mini-mud room set up in the small alcove that made up the entrance of their dorm. Apartment was more like it, though they were on campus.

The space consisted of a living room, a small kitchen, one bathroom, two bedrooms and a small balcony. His roommate's girlfriend was a metal worker and had constructed a really cool wall mounted electric fire place for them. It offered a surprising reprieve from the cold but was mostly decoration. When it started getting really cold they'd both been thankful for the central heating.

Ichigo's roommate had turned out to be a pretty cool guy and he got along with him just as well as any of his other friends. His name was Connor and he'd come from New York to study here. Ichigo had been able to speak English before coming to America but he had to admit he was glad to have someone around to practice more with. Connor had been surprisingly helpful and made a deal with Ichigo that if he helped him learn some Japanese he would help him with his English if he ever needed it.

Removing his coat and hanging it up on a peg by the door along with his scarf he made his way to the kitchen to brew some tea and get the cold out of his bones. He was no stranger to weather changes having lived in Karakura all his life but the cold here was _bitter_ and it seeped in deep. Once his tea was ready he continued on into his bedroom and flipped open his laptop.

Entering in the password he took a sip of the warm soothing liquid as he waited for it to boot up. He heard the chime indicating he had an email go off and clicked on it. A warm sensation, not from the tea, permeated his body when he saw the sender: Orihime.

They had been emailing back and forth, not to mention instant messaging, consistently since he'd left. He set the tea cup down and picking up the laptop moved over to his more comfortable chaise seat so he could stretch out his legs. Placing the laptop on his lap his settled in to read her latest email.

 _ **Dear Kurosaki-kun,**_

 _ **I hope this email finds you well. If I remember correctly today was the last day of your classes before Christmas break so you must be pretty happy! We're also starting break here at the community college but that just means longer shifts at the bakery for me.**_ He frowned slightly as the thought of her walking home by herself at night took root in his mind.

 _ **Oh well, I appreciate the extra money so I can buy presents for everyone!**_ Of course she wouldn't keep any of the extra for herself for a rainy day as he'd told her. She was just too generous.

 _ **Speaking of which, I need to know what Kurosaki-kun wants so I can buy it sooner and have it shipped!**_

" _The only thing I want is to be back there with you,"_ he thought with a sad smile. He'd long stopped arguing against or second guessing these thoughts when they sprung up. He'd come to an acceptance of his feelings for her which had only grown despite the distance between them. Somehow, spending time with her written words had solidified his affection for her.

He could hear her voice speaking them and picture her gestures or facial expressions. What had surprised him was her depth and wealth of knowledge about certain things; particularly literature. When they'd lived in Karakura together they'd never really had time to talk about frivolous topics.

" _No, that's not true,"_ he thought again his attention momentarily diverted from the words in front of him, " _we had plenty of time. I just never took it. Why?"_ That question had been plaguing him again and again over the past 7 months. Why had he been unaware of her? Had he really just not noticed her until after she'd been taken away? How screwed up was that? And here he was again, appreciating her more when she _wasn't_ with him.

He shook his head and went back to reading her email.

 _ **Things have been surprisingly quiet around here. I mean, there are still hollows of course but Shuhei-kun has been handling them well. I can't believe they still have him stationed here for this long! He's a**_ _ **Fukutaichou after all and this can only be boring for him. Then again, when I asked him about it he said he'd rather be here because at least he gets to do something other than paperwork.**_

He knew she only meant hollow fighting but still, something about the words made his blood pressure rise a little bit. He'd told himself over and over that there was nothing going on between Orihime and Hisagi but the green eyed monster had reared its head over and over. He _hated_ that Hisgai was able to spend time with Orihime when he couldn't.

 _ **Speaking of hollows, have you had to step in to help with them at all in Boston? I know you said the local shinigami does well but I know you, you probably just can't stay away all the time. Somehow not having traveled anywhere besides Soul Society and Hueco Mundo {shutter} it never occurred to me they would be all over the place. Silly of me, huh?**_

He grinned at this last and pictured her shaking her head in annoyance with herself. No, he didn't think she was silly, it hadn't really occurred to him either until his spirit badge had gone off his second night there.

 _It was about one in the morning and Ichigo had been fast asleep despite the fact that back home it was 2:00 PM._

" _HOLLOW! HOLLOW! HOLLOW!" bellowed out his badge and he was so startled he fell out of bed. "Ugh, you would think by now I'd be used to it!" he'd thought angrily as he silenced it and slammed it against his chest. Thankfully Connor hadn't woken up and Ichigo flew off into the night. He'd found the hollow fairly quickly already engaged in battle with another soul reaper. He held back, for once using his brain instead of barging right in, figuring if someone had moved into his territory without ceremony or introduction he'd be pissed._

 _The local soul reaper had handled the fight just fine but had not neglected to notice Ichigo. She'd made her way over to him after she'd sheathed her weapon._

" _Never thought I'd meet a celebrity," she said coyly, a mischievous glint in her eyes._

" _Huh?" Ichigo had asked, completely dumbfounded._

" _Oh come on, it's not like that hair isn't instantly recognizable," she'd giggled, "You're Kurosaki Ichigo."_

 _He was floored that someone from across the globe would know him but then again he had no idea how long she'd been stationed here and there was only one Soul Society._

 _He'd scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly awkward at being known, before replying, "Yeah, well…um…what's your name?"_

 _She smiled, a smile that seemed almost….predatory…before replying as she held out her hand, "Jasmine Evertone, pleased to meet you." As he shook her hand he took in her appearance. She was probably five foot five, blonde hair braided and deep brown eyes._

 _She continued, "And thanks for rushing out to help but I got this. See you around Kurosaki-kun." And it was the use of his name like that which had slammed pain into his chest more potent than any zanpaktuo wound. It was the first time anyone had called him that since he'd come to Boston and its utterance brought Orihime's face as she'd said goodbye to him to his mind._

 _He'd betrayed nothing on his face but when he'd reached his bedroom again and rejoined with his body the pain in his chest was still there. It was that night he realized he'd best just get used to these feelings for Inoue because it was obvious they weren't going anywhere anytime soon._

Coming back out of his musings he kept reading.

 _ **Sorry I don't have much to say in this, there just isn't much to update you on and I still need to pick my next book off your list of recommendations. I'm sure you've been in contact with Ishida-kun and Sado-kun too so I won't give you old news. I'm sad to hear you can't come back home for Christmas. I know your family misses you terribly. I'll be going over to help Yuzu with Christmas baking to take to the senior home.**_

He was slightly surprised but smiled at this news. No one in their family had helped with that. Either they weren't interested (he and Karin) or they weren't capable (dad).

 _ **We'll make sure to ship you some treats Kurosaki-kun, I'm sure you must be missing her amazing cooking. Anyway, I think I'll end this here and if I don't get another chance I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**_

 _ **Your friend, Inoue**_

"My friend, yeah, you are," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" he heard and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Connor was standing in the door way smirking at him, "Common for you to talk to yourself Ichigo?"

Ichigo scowled slightly before asking, "What's up Connor?"

"Nothing much, Caitlyn and I were just going out to dinner and I thought I'd see if you want to come too? We'll be heading out tomorrow morning for home for the holidays so think of it as your Christmas gift from us."

He wasn't really in the mood for dinner and conversation but figured it would be better to stay in the good graces of the man he was living with even if he was leaving for two weeks.

"Sure, do I need to change?"

"Naw, nothing fancy, just the diner down the road if you're ok with that?" he replied.

"Sure, are we picking up Caitlyn?" Ichigo asked as he followed him out into the hall towards the door.

"Nope, I'm already here Ichigo," he heard the pretty blue eyed girl reply. She reminded Ichigo of a tiny feminine version of Renji. Approximately five foot two she had flaming red hair (though hers he'd found out was dyed) piercing blue eyes and wore glasses. She had full sleeve tattoos on her arms but they were currently covered in a turquoise cashmere sweater.

The first word Ichigo had thought of when he'd first met her was firecracker, both because of her hair and her attitude. She was blunt, to the point and fiercely loyal. In that respect she was like Rukia. So in one person he had a reminder of two of his closest shinigami friends.

He'd seen them twice since he'd been here and though he never let on he'd been really, really glad to see them. He missed everyone a lot more than he thought he would.

Once they were bundled up against the elements the three friends walked to the local diner and encased themselves in a booth, the couple sitting opposite Ichigo. They ordered their food and settled in to wait for it.

"So, you heard from Inoue today?" Connor asked with a slight grin that widened when he saw Ichigo blush.

"Wha…what makes you say that?" Ichigo stuttered but cursed himself. Really, by now he should be able to control these reactions!

Connor laughed, "Dude, you always get that wistful hang dog look on your face after reading one of her emails or talking to her online."

Ichigo blinked in confusion and Connor laughed harder, "Come on man, it's not that hard to read you. At least not for me."

Ichigo knew this was true. Connor was in Boston studying psychology with an emphasis in profiling. He wanted to work for the FBI on the behavioral analysis unit and was pretty damn good at reading people.

"Oooooo, Inoue? That's the pretty red head back in Karakura right?" Caitlyn asked leaning forward on the table. Ichigo averted his gaze as his blush intensified.

The red head in front of him laughed making him look at her, "My, my, you have it bad for this girl. Have you told her yet?"

The substitute shinigami sighed and shook his head. He wasn't comfortable talking about this.

"Ichigo, come on, I mean, what's the worst that could happen? You're obviously torturing yourself over this girl so take the plunge! That's how I got Caitlyn," Connor said.

The orange hair raised his eyebrows and looked at the woman in question.

She nodded before adding, "That's right. We had been friends for quite some time. All our friends were sick of the song and dance we did about each other."

"What did you do?" Ichigo asked in spite of himself. He wasn't sure why he was letting down his wall on this subject now.

Connor laughed at the memory before throwing his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, "We were at a party, it was New Years Eve, cliché I know," he muttered as Caitlyn giggled, "Anyway, we're at this large party thrown by someone at her work. Neither of us had admitted our feelings to each other but all our friends knew. There was a good DJ there and we were all on the dance floor. I guess, I don't know, I tease Caitlyn that she knew exactly what she was doing," this earned him a punch in the chest, "but really I know she didn't."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked impatiently.

"What I mean is I saw her on the dance floor with another guy. They weren't really dancing inappropriately but I _hated_ that his hands were on her at all. I just saw red and realized how moronic my denial was because if she ever _did_ end up with someone else…well…it was likely I would have killed the bastard, or at least wanted to."

Ichigo's eyes widened a little, "So what did you do?"

Caitlyn laughed as she answered, "The crazy idiot stormed over and grabbed my hand to yank me to the balcony. I really thought he'd lost his mind for a moment. Then once he'd caught his breath he finally confessed his feelings. I have to admit, it completely caught me off guard and I couldn't speak for a moment."

"It felt like hours," Connor picked up the story, "she was just standing there staring at me and I thought I had ruined our friendship forever. But then, she jumped forward and kissed me. I was pretty sure at that point that she felt the same way," he finished with a cocky grin.

Their food had arrived by then and they began eating causing a lull in their conversation.

Caitlyn hesitated for a moment but knew she needed to ask the question that had entered her mind. During the time Connor was living with Ichigo she had of course gotten to know him better and really liked him. He was sweet (though he'd deny it) and loyal. She knew he'd make a great boyfriend if only he'd give himself the chance and from what she'd heard about Inoue she was fairly sure the girl liked him too. She could read between the lines of what Ichigo told her about their conversations, that is when he was willing to share which at first had been never.

But over time he'd grown to trust them both and had opened up a little more.

"Ichigo," she began and he looked at her, "in all seriousness, why haven't you told her how you feel?"

He put his fork down and sighed, trying to figure out how to explain and knew that simply saying "I don't know" didn't feel complete enough anymore. He'd figured some of it out while he'd been away but had yet to deal with it fully.

Taking a deep breath he answered, "That's a hard question to answer because…there are things about my life I've…I can't share with you to explain it. I'm…I'm pretty damaged."

The couple in front of him looked at each other and the same thought appeared present, " _What's he talking about? I've never seen anything wrong with him?"_

"Ichigo, we all have pasts, we all have things we're not proud of. Surely, someone who is as decent as you can't be that bad," Connor said kindly.

Ichigo snorted a half laugh, "Yeah, well, let's just say that while a part of me figures I'd be the best for her the majority of myself knows I'd only be a burden. She's a light, she's _the_ light, of our lives back home and being with me…being with me would only snuff her out." His head was down, eyes not meeting theirs as he voiced his confession.

Caitlyn felt tears sting her eyes. She'd never known he felt this way about himself. He carried himself with so much strength and pride, borderline arrogance she'd thought she first met him but that had changed when he'd let his guard down a little around her.

Reaching across the table she grabbed his hand causing him to look at her. She saw so much pain in his eyes, deeper than she expected, as she said, "Ichigo, I can't pretend to understand what you're going through. With no context I can't offer advice on whatever it is from your past that is haunting you. But what I can say is this. If you think there is even an inkling of a chance that she cares for you in the same way you care for her you owe it to yourself and to her to tell her your feelings. Let _her_ decide for herself. Denying her that chance…is….well…it's wrong."

"How is it wrong to protect her?" he asked somewhat angrily.

"Think about it, what if she is torturing herself over you the same way you are over her? What if she can't move on because she's holding out on the hope that something could happen? What this looks like to me is two people who care about each other but are letting fear rule their lives and that is just no way to live."

Connor knew Caitlyn was pushing Ichigo and a part of him thought he should stop her but looking at his friend's face told him that while this was not a comfortable conversation to have, it was one Ichigo needed to hear. Either his friends in Karakura had never had the guts to do it or perhaps they had and he hadn't listened but for whatever reason it looked like a dawning of comprehension was happening and he was thankful for his girlfriend's boldness.

When Ichigo still hadn't replied he hazarded his own bold question, "Ichigo, if nothing else, think about what you would do if one day she up and tells you she has a boyfriend? What would you feel or do then?"

All three were startled by the sudden violent cracking and subsequent flooding of water on the table as the glass Ichigo held in his hand shattered.

Wide eyed Connor cleared his throat, "I think that is answer enough of what you should do Ichigo. Now, I'll go get some towels and we'll take you to the urgent care to get stitched up."

Ichigo didn't bother to reply, but simply looked at his hand as the blood trickled down.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Thank you to TheWolf87, daianapotter, Saint Sita, crista2311, pfcvillanueva, Orangejuuice-chan and Casey525 for your kind reviews, I'm glad you are all enjoying this story.**

 **I know we all want the kiss to happen, patience my friends, patience ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 9 – Strong Enough to Love

The next day a bitter, biting cold had settled over Karakura and as Orihime stepped out of the bakery to head home she cursed herself for forgetting her second coat. The walk wasn't too far but the wind was pushing against her and cutting through her jacket and sweater.

Before she'd made it a few steps from the door she heard a voice call out, "Inoue-san!" Turning she saw Ishida making his way to her as rapidly as possible.

"Hi Ishida-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked as he reached her.

"I came to walk you home of course. Where is your outer coat?" he asked looking at her attire as they kept walking.

"He he, I, um, forgot to grab it," she said amid chattering teeth. Without another word Ishida removed his outer coat and placed it around her shoulders. The chatter dissipated somewhat.

She turned to protest but the look in his eyes made her realize it was not worth the argument. Instead she smiled and said, "Ishida-kun is proof chivalry is not dead." He smiled lightly at her as they picked up their pace.

They reached her apartment a few minutes later and clambered up the stairs. With shaky fingers Orihime unlocked the door and Ishida followed her inside. They took off their boots and hung up their coats before Orihime asked, "Tea or hot cocoa?"

"Hot cocoa sounds perfect for a night like this," Uryu commented as he sat down at the kitchen table. Nodding she set to her task as they caught up about their respective days. Ishida had been back two days from Tokyo where he was attending a medical college.

Because he was staying at the dorms he had opted to not renew the lease on his apartment. However, after one day staying with this father for the Christmas holiday he'd asked Orihime if he could stay in her spare room. The two men just could not live under the same roof.

Orihime loved having both he and Shuhei staying with her. She'd lived alone for so long that to have two of her close friends around had been really nice. Over the years of their friendship she had come to view Ishida as a brother figure and he stepped into the role willingly. Shuhei had proved to be a fun companion because he was actually interested in learning things about the world of the living.

"Are you heading out for your meeting with Sasaki-sensei?" Uryu asked after thanking her for the cocoa and taking a tentative sip. Orihime always got the temperature perfect so one did not have to wait long to enjoy the warm treat.

She nodded, "Yes, I was hoping the weather would cooperate but it looks like it's going to be a cold journey."

Uryu was about to reply when a blast of cold air from the door opening stopped his words and he turned to see Shuhei walk in.

"Brrrrr, geez, it's freaking freezing out there! Inoue-san are you sure you want to go out tonight?" he said as he removed his boots from his gigai.

"I really don't want to miss a meeting but…" she trailed off as she heard the pitter patter of rain beginning. It still wasn't quite cold enough to snow but they all knew that was coming soon.

"Perhaps Sasaki-sensei would be willing to allow a phone meeting," Uryu suggested, "Shuhei and I can leave for the time being."

"No, no, I don't want you going out in this either Ishida-kun and Shuhei-kun you should warm up before going out for patrol. But I think you're right, I should call her and see if we can just talk on the phone. If you don't mind waiting in the spare room that would work," she replied.

"That is a perfectly acceptable compromise. I have some additional reading to get done anyway. Shuhei?"

"No problem, I was just going to eat and lay down for a bit before heading out," the shinigami replied.

After Shuhei had received a cup of hot cocoa and some cookies from Orihime both men headed out of the room while she picked up her phone and dialed the number to her therapist.

"Hello?" she heard her say as she answered.

"Hello Sasaki-sensei, this is Inoue Orihime."

"Ah, hello Inoue-san, how are you?"

"I am well but I wanted to see if it would be possible for us to have our meeting over the phone tonight? The weather has become worse and I just don't think it's a good idea to travel tonight," Orihime responded.

"Of course Inoue-san, that is not a problem at all. Firstly, how have you been sleeping this last week?"

Orihime thought over the past week which led her to thinking about the past six months. She had been sleeping through the night with little to no nightmares.

"Sasaki-sensei has been a miracle worker," Orihime replied, "last week was the same as the previous six months. I feel so much better."

She heard the woman chuckle, "Inoue-san, I did not perform a miracle, you have worked very diligently and hard to get where you are today. I'm very proud of you as are your friends and as you should be of yourself."

Orihime blushed but thanked her for her kind words.

"Now, then shall we continue our discussion of a certain orange haired young man?" Kiyonna asked with just a trace of mirth in her voice. Orihime appreciated having someone like her to discuss this with because she could be completely honest and knew she would receive completely honest advice in return.

"Hai," Orihime answered. It wasn't that he hadn't come up in the past seven months but Kiyonna had skillfully turned the focus onto Orihime to help her grow as her own person. Ichigo leaving had devastated Orihime and she could still remember those first few days after he'd left vividly.

 _Orihime was standing in the departing flight terminal along with their friends and Ichigo's family. Her face hurt from her efforts to keep herself from crying. The three months prior to his departure had flown by in the blink of an eye. Because of working part time jobs, hollow fights and prepping for college the friends had not been able to spend as much time together as the five of them would like._

 _Along with Ichigo, Ishida and Tatsuki would be leaving Karakura. Chad had opted to go to the community college like Orihime._

 _As they waited for Ichigo's boarding call Yuzu and Isshin were crying while Karin was huffing at them both. But if anyone looked close enough they would see tears of her own shimmering in her eyes. Ichigo was doing his best to calm his sister down and ignore his father but Tatsuki noticed he kept darting glances over to Orihime, who was in turn avoiding looking at him so she would not burst into tears._

 _Moving over to her best friend she asked, "Orihime, are you ok? I mean, I know you're not but…are you mad at Ichigo or something?"_

 _Wide grey eyes met hers and she could see the tears clinging to the edges of her eyes, "N…no Tatsuki…I'm…I'm not mad, "she took a deep shaky breath, "I'm trying not…to cry. We should be…happy….for Kurosaki-kun."_

 _Tatsuki's heart broke a little for her sweet friend and she placed a hand on her shoulder, "Orihime, if you would bother to put your head up you'd see he keeps looking at you. I think he thinks you're mad or something. Or worse, that you don't care?"_

" _What? How could he think that?" Orihime whispered emphatically._

 _Tatsuki tried to calm her down, "I'm not saying for sure he does but every time he looks at you he has a sad look on his face. He's trying to hide it but I can see right through him. And because he can't see your face he doesn't know you care this much. I know you're terrified to let him know how you feel, but I think you need to let him see a little of this."_

 _Orihime clutched at her chest, her heart hurting so much she felt she had to hold it. She knew this wasn't goodbye forever but it was goodbye for now and him not being here was killing her._

" _I'll bring him over and keep everyone away for a moment so you can be alone. I'm not saying you have to give your confession as he's leaving but let him see you sad. I know it doesn't make sense and I don't know how I know it but he needs to see how much you're going to miss him. Ok?" Tatsuki said very gently._

 _Weakly Orihime nodded and Tatsuki went over to Ichigo._

" _Ichigo," she said and he looked over to her, Yuzu still in his arms, "go to Orihime, she can't say goodbye to you in front of everyone. Go on, I'll hold Yuzu for now."_

 _Ichigo frowned but nodded as he turned his sister over to her and headed to where Orihime was standing staring out the window. As he made his way to stand in front of her his eyes widened when he saw her face._

 _Tears were streaming down her cheeks from her closed eyes._

" _Inoue?" he said tentatively and her eyes flew open meeting his. He was stunned by the depth of pain he saw._

 _She didn't say a word, just stepped forward and hugged him around his waist as she cried. It was a quiet crying and all he heard were the occasional sniffs but he could feel her body shaking. He'd no idea she was this distraught over him leaving. As he wrapped his arms around her back he rested his chin on top of her head._

 _Absentmindedly he rubbed her back trying to get her to calm down but knowing it was a fruitless effort. Still, the attempt was worth it. She was so warm and fit in his arms so perfectly that his heart felt both full and empty at the same time. Full because he knew beyond any shadow of doubt how much he cared about her and empty because he knew how much it would hurt to tear himself away from her._

 _They stood there holding each other for about five minutes when his boarding call sounded. He heard her gasp and a small sob escaped her lips. He tightened his hold momentarily before releasing his arms and pulling back from her. It was the single hardest thing he'd done in his life, harder than coming back from the dead._

 _He looked at her face again and though he hated to cause her pain he committed her face as it was in that moment to his memory. "She cares, she really, really cares," he thought and even in the midst of staring at her pain he smiled slightly._

 _She returned the smile as best as she could as he said, "Don't be sad Inoue. I'll see you again soon."_

 _She nodded, tears still falling, and gripped his hands briefly before letting him go completely. "I can't…I can't watch you walk away. I know you need to say…goodbye to your…family," she choked out. He nodded and said, "I'll text you when I land." She nodded again and he walked away._

 _In the days following she had some of her worst nightmares. It got so bad one night Shuhei had asked Urahara to help as backup for hollow patrol so he could stay at home with her to watch over her._

 _The first meeting she had scheduled after Ichigo's departure Kiyonna had agreed to come see Orihime at her home because all her friends were concerned she would not make the journey to see her safely. When she'd arrived and saw the state the girl was in she let Shuhei know she would be staying there until they could get her back on her feet._

" _Inoue-san," she'd said gently one night after she'd managed to get her to eat some dinner, "I know you are heart sick but he's not gone permanently. And you were doing so well on your own even while he was still around, why are you so distraught?"_

 _Orihime had looked at her with tear filled eyes, "I don't know…it just won't stop hurting. I mean, I watched him DIE and come back again but he goes away to school and I'm…I just feel lost and have this burning that won't stop."_

" _Inoue-san, I will tell you that if you ever do plan on trying to move forward towards a deeper relationship with Kurosaki-kun you will need to learn to stand on your own. You are not helpless or hopeless, don't allow yourself to stay on this road," Kiyonna replied._

 _It was like a switch had flipped as Orihime blinked her eyes and they cleared for the first time since he left._

 _She smiled softly, "You're right Sasaki-sensei, I need to become strong enough to love him like he deserves."_

So from that day forward she had worked on getting stronger and standing on her own better. And she had made great progress. She'd been the one to initiate contact with him (after that initial text when he'd landed) and ever since then they had talked via email and online since phone calls were too expensive due to the long distance.

"Good, so how are you feeling about what we discussed last week?" Kiyonna asked.

Orihime took a deep breath before answering, "I thought long and hard about it but…I don't think I'm ready yet."

Kiyonna steeled herself not to sigh, it was not her place to be frustrated but she felt it nonetheless, "Inoue-san, I understand your reservations but don't you think this has gone on long enough? You are doing so well now, you are so much stronger than you've ever been. Plus, if what your friend Tatsuki said is true, and she has no reason to lie to you, don't you think Ichigo's behavior when he left shows he cares about you as more than a friend at least a little bit?"

Orihime paused as she considered this and thought back over all their conversations during the past 7 months. They had become closer during this time than any other in the years they'd known each other and yet she was still so scared to tell him how she truly felt. She knew it was unfair but she kept hoping that her subtle hints would be enough for him to "see the light" and confirm what she vaguely suspected.

"Inoue-san, I know what you're thinking, but if he reciprocates to your confession that does not invalidate the feelings he has any more than yours would be should he be the one to confess, right?" she heard her counselor's voice say.

"Yes, yes, I know you're right, and really I've loved him longer than he may care for me so it really should be me who takes the plunge right?" she asked with a nervous giggle.

"The duration of time has nothing to do with it other than the fact it is still there. You need to be brave for yourself. You are a worthy woman, act like one," Kiyonna replied firmly.

Orihime took a deep breath, "Ok, I'll do it, but I'm not going to email him. I know I should probably do it face to face but I feel like I'll just end up stuttering through it. I'm going to write him a letter with his Christmas present."

"That's a good idea," the other woman agreed.

"Sasaki-sensei, would you read it when I'm done? I mean, just to make sure I don't have any spelling errors or anything?" the young healer asked and her phone companion chuckled.

"Of course Inoue-san, write it out and bring it with you next week."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 10 – I Only Have Eyes For You

It was a couple days after the glass incident and Connor and Caitlyn had left for their Christmas holiday visit to friends and family in New York. They had made a last ditch effort to get Ichigo to go with them but he insisted he couldn't leave his part time job.

That was the truth until the morning he found out the shop he worked at would be closed for the holidays. Apparently every year they took the month of December off having secured enough finances for it. "We like to avoid the coldest portion of winter," his boss had said but had surprisingly and very generously given Ichigo a month's wages.

When the young man tried to defer from taking it the kindly older man replied, "We wouldn't leave you out in the cold boy, you've done well for us and we want to do good by you."

Ichigo had offered to keep the shop open while they were gone to make up for it but they insisted he enjoy his time off. " _Well, I would if I had anyone to spend it with,"_ he thought gloomily as he walked back to his dorm.

He took a seat at his desk in front of the computer and felt, not for the first time, extremely lonely. Sure, he had made more friends that just Connor and Caitlyn but so many of them had gone home for the holidays.

" **Spare me the pity party would you King?! It already rains in here constantly!"** he heard his hollow yell, " **I mean, really, for crying out loud could you get any more pathetic?!"**

Ichigo shook his head, trying to dispel the bothersome being. Kami how he missed everyone but most of all he missed _her_. He missed Orihime more and more each day. It was becoming unnerving and he was worried that any day now during their online conversations or in an email he'd write _I love you_ or some such other phrase of endearment.

He knew that if, " _No, WHEN, when I finally tell her,"_ he thought it wasn't going to be in an email. Though the likelihood of him having the guts to say it to her face were doubtful at best. " _Maybe a letter?"_ he thought but then dismissed the idea. He wanted to tell her to her face no matter how much he stuttered or blustered or blushed and made a complete fool of himself. He was becoming aware that for her, he was willing to be foolish. But he was still scared, he, Kurosaki Ichigo, was scared of telling Orihime that he was in love with her. " _I really am pathetic,"_ he thought. " **Told you,** " he heard clearly and cursed.

Suddenly he heard a noise that pulled him out of his musings. TAP TAP TAP! There it was again. Getting up he headed to the living room and was slightly startled to see Jasmine tapping at the window. He opened the window and motioned for her to come inside before shutting it soundly.

"Hiya Kurosaki-kun, how are you?" she asked sweetly. No matter how nice she seemed Ichigo was just a little on guard around her. He didn't see her as often as his other shinigami friends and really he wouldn't call her a _friend_ per se, she was more of a…colleague.

Shrugging he grunted, "Ok I guess Evertone-san."

"Well, if you're not busy tonight, I thought I'd see if you wanted to come on hollow patrol with me?"

Cocking an eyebrow at her he asked, "Really? I mean, you've made it pretty clear you've got this town covered."

She shrugged back at him and said, "Yeah, well, I thought maybe you were lonely here all by yourself."

He figured she'd probably seen his roommate leave at some point to know he was here alone. Part of him wondered why she would pay attention to such a thing but then again she was responsible for knowing things about the place she guarded.

"Why the hell not, I'd just be bored at home anyway," he consented and walked to his room where he used his badge to get out of his body. They flew out the window together and into the cold night.

It wasn't long before they'd come upon three hollows chasing spirits.

"And I thought Karakura was a hotbed for hollows," Ichigo said as the two of them took battle position.

"Bigger city, more spirits, more hollows," Jasmine explained succinctly.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

Back in Karakura, Orihime was in the midst of her own hollow fight helping Shuhei and Uryu with a menos. She was so thankful Ishida-kun was back in town to help because menos were a lot harder to beat without him here. To emphasize her thought she saw another arrow fly through the air and make contact but this menos was really strong and wasn't going down easily.

"Koten Zanshun," she shouted and out Tsubaki flew towards the mask. He made contact but it wasn't enough to crack it. The next moment she saw a clawed hand coming down towards Shuhei, "Santen Kesshun!" she shouted and blocked the attack.

He sent her a wave of thanks before swinging his blades towards the giant hollow.

"Roar Zabimaru!"

Orihime turned a beaming smile upon the latest shinigami upon the scene. It had been months since she last saw the red-headed fukutaichou.

The next moment she saw two huge blue blasts of energy and knew Rukia was here too releasing a Soren Sokatsui.

The blast of her kido and the teeth of Zabimaru impacted at almost the same time causing the menos to roar in pain and drop his guard. Uryu let loose a volley of arrows while Shuhei attacked again from the other side. Orihime sent Tsubaki back out again and this time between she, Shuhei and the Quincy the mask cracked. With the menos defeated the two new comers were welcome properly by their friends.

"Rukia-chan, Renji-kun!" shouted Orihime as she flung her arms around both them. They laughed and hugged her back as she exclaimed, "Congratulations on your courtship, I'm so happy for you both!"

Rukia shook her head, having figured the healer would have heard about it from someone before she'd had opportunity to make it back to the world of the living to tell her herself.

"Thank you Orihime-chan, that's actually part of why we're here," she replied with a smile on her face.

"Oh, what do you mean?" the copper haired girl inquired with a cock of her head.

"We have a wedding date set! And while we are mostly doing a traditional noble wedding I absolutely insisted our friends from the world of the living be allowed to attend. More than that, I want you to be my maid of honor," the small shinigami answered.

Orihime's eyes got very wide and she squealed in delight making Renji laugh out loud as he said, "Well, if that makes you happy wait till you hear this."

She turned her attention to him as he continued, "I'm going to ask Ichigo to be the best man."

The girl looked stunned and she managed to stammer out, "Rea…really? I mean, I think it's great but…I'm surprised."

Renji crossed his arms, "Tch, like I'd have anybody else do it. Without him, my soon to be wife would be dead."

Orihime felt tears stinging her eyes. They'd gotten to know each other a little better over the years since their disastrous first introductions but this sentimentality was something she'd never seen before. She never knew that amongst all the bravado and male posturing Renji thought of Ichigo as his best friend.

"And you were the most kind to me when I first came to the world of the living, even when you thought Ichigo may have liked me," Rukia said with a sly smile. Orihime blushed but giggled at the teasing. She was just so happy to see them.

"Come on, let's get out of the cold," she said ushering them towards her apartment. The place felt cozy with the five of them sitting around drinking tea and eating scones (compliments of Uryu) catching up with each other.

"So, are you bored out of your mind being stuck here?" Renji asked Shuhei.

Shuhei shook his head, "Naw, I've found it most enjoyable." Rukia noticed he was looking at Orihime when he said this and she frowned slightly. He didn't catch it but Uryu did and chuckled to himself, " _Everyone is so determined to get Inoue-san and Kurosaki together you'd think they would have figured out that each of them have feelings for the other."_

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

Back in Boston Ichigo and Jasmine had a successful night of hollow purging. At the end of her shift she shunpo'd back to Ichigo's with him. She lingered enough that he could tell she wanted to come in and though he wasn't in the mood to entertain he figured he owed her. Without her invitation he'd have been stuck home alone the past couples hours bored or depressed or most likely both. So he offered for her to come in for a cup of tea.

She of course accepted and as he went to the bedroom to retrieve his body she took a moment to look around his place. " _Simple but nice,"_ she thought. He was back in about a minute and in the kitchen.

They sat down at the breakfast bar and she said, "So, tell me more about yourself. I only know the rumors, or I guess the better word would be legends of the great Kurosaki Ichigo." Her eyes were dancing with a flirtatious glow.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Legends huh? They make it sound so romantic," he said almost bitterly.

His attitude surprised her a little, though she had heard he was an odd combination of pride and humility.

"Well, how would you describe it?" she asked tentatively.

He looked lost in thought before answering, "Hell, it was hell. It was hard, frightening, I…I almost lost…someone. And so many _did_ lose people."

His melancholy struck her, plus the fact that he apparently had a _someone,_ or at least _wanted_ this supposed someone. The thought depressed her momentarily.

" _Then again, maybe this someone doesn't want him? Would I be ok with being second? For him? Sure,"_ she thought. She knew she had charm that men appreciated and it had faired her well in the past. Not that she was loose or anything but she knew how to use being both a warrior and a woman to her advantage.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Kurosaki-kun, I really do just want to get to know you," she said shyly.

For someone who never really paid attention to the female sex Ichigo was suddenly very aware of what was going on. In the past he would have just believed she genuinely wanted to know him or even be his friend, which more than likely he would have put off. He didn't get close to lots of people. At least, he used to not, now…now he had a lot of people he would consider close, at least closer than he'd previously let them before his life as a substitute shinigami.

But this girl, she wasn't hiding her intentions too hard, which almost made him smirk. She, no, _any_ girl couldn't hold a candle to his Inoue.

" _Mine? Only if I tell her how I feel before it's too late,_ " he thought.

Realizing he'd let the silence go on longer than he probably should for social politeness he turned to her and said, "Evertone-san, I don't talk about myself. It's not an interesting topic. Anyway, I hope you won't think me rude but I really should call it a night. Thanks for the practice."

She huffed slightly, figuring she may as well be blunt before giving up the ghost entirely, "She must really be something, this _someone_ you spoke of?"

His eyebrows rose at her candor and in spite of himself he did smile, "No, she's not something, she's _everything_."

There really wasn't anything left to say so Jasmine, knowing she'd been beat before she'd even started, got up and bowed, "It's been a pleasure meeting you Kurosaki-kun. Take care and, if you haven't already, make sure you tell _her_ that she is your everything, eh?"

He nodded and she took her leave.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

In a small town across the world from Ichigo a small apartment was filled with the presence of dear friends sleeping under the roof of Orihime Inoue. She smiled at the Quincy who had gallantly offered the full size guest bed to the soon to be newlyweds in order to sleep on the couch. Her fourth guest was currently looking at her while she looked at Uryu.

" _Shuhei, you really are an idiot,"_ he thought to himself as he stared at her.

During the course of his stay he'd grown _way_ too attached to the lovely healer. He knew it was useless to act on his attraction and affections for her since she was solely, completely, whole-heartedly _devoted_ to Kurosaki.

Deep down he knew, or at least told himself he knew, he merely had an infatuation with the woman. It was easy to develop, especially for someone like Shuhei. Despite his outward appearance of flirtation and easy going nature he really longed for a true companion. And Orihime possessed so many of the qualities he hoped to find in a partner.

He laughed to himself at the absurdity to even consider she could be that someone. Even if there were no Kurosaki to contend with (and really in her eyes there was no competition whatsoever) he was a fukutaichou from Soul Society. It would never work so he might as well move on now.

But every day he stayed in Karakura and under her roof she held him captive. He was baffled that Kurosaki had been able to leave her behind, even if it were just temporarily.

His sigh brought her attention to his face and she smiled softly, "Shuhei-kun, are you ok? You look melancholy. "

He chuckled thinking, " _More like love sick but that works too,"_ before he said, "I'm fine Inoue-san, just tired but I should get back out there for the last couple hours before dawn. I'll see you when the sun's up."

But before he left he stepped up to her, his closeness and him taking her hand softly making her eyes widened slightly, "Inoue-san, forgive me for being forward, but if for whatever stupid reason Kurosaki doesn't return your affections…" he trailed off and she hitched her breath a little, both in surprise of his knowledge about them (though she wondered at this point who _didn't_ know about her love for Ichigo besides the man himself) and in anticipation of what she was sure he was going to say next if she were reading the look in his eyes correctly.

He continued haltingly, "Well…just know there are others who are not so blind to what you have to offer. And to be perfectly clear, you can put my name on that list." With that he kissed her hand and walked out the door.

Orihime was left feeling a little breathless at his confession. She was touched but knew that until she knew beyond any shadow of doubt that Ichigo did not return her affection she would remain faithful to him.

 **Author's Note: Please do NOT worry, I am not creating love triangles in this chapter, merely showing realistic possibilities that other people around them would develop crushes on them. Trust me, they only have eyes for each other as the title clearly states. ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

 **Author's Note: In case anyone enjoys listening to the songs I mention as my muses the one for this one is again from Ellie Goulding "Beating Heart". Enjoy!**

Chapter 11- All I Want For Christmas Is You

Tatsuki banged on the door at the Kurosaki residence. It opened to reveal a slightly annoyed Karin.

"Tatsuki-chan, what are you doing here?" she asked sleepily.

"Nice to see you too Karin-chan, now can I come in out of the frigging cold please?" the karate fighter asked testily. Karin stepped back and let what amounted to the closest thing to a sister she'd had into their home. Well, beside Orihime-chan. Really her brother was such an idiot.

"Ok, what's up?" Karin asked as Isshin and Yuzu were making their greetings to their guest.

"I'm conspiring," Tatsuki said, raising her eyebrows mischievously.

"Ooooooo, I like the sound of this, what is the plan Tatsuki-chan?" Isshin said rubbing his hands together.

"The plan is to get Orihime to Boston to surprise Ichigo," she said and all three dropped their jaws momentarily before they smiled. Even Karin was smiling at this.

"What do you need from us?" Yuzu asked bouncing up and down.

"Well, I was hoping me, you guys, Uryu, and Chad could chip in on the ticket for her. I'm sure she can just crash at Ichigo's though I'm sure she'll die of embarrassment but she'll just have to deal with it!"

The co-conspirators laughed and readily agreed to pitch in for the ticket.

"So, how are you going to get her to agree to this?" Karin asked.

"Oh, I've got it all worked out, don't worry," Tatsuki said and began filling them in on her plan.

A day later Orihime was at home. She had no training, no work and no counseling that day but she was fidgeting. She had sent Ichigo's Christmas gift (and her confession letter) a couple days ago to allow plenty of time for it to arrive. The butterflies were going into overdrive. She couldn't believe she'd actually put the letter in the mail and it was gone! It was on its way to be placed into his hands and there was so much riding on it.

She thought over what she'd written again and again but Sasaki-sensei had assured her it was perfect and helped her packet everything up. She wondered if he'd really wait until to Christmas to open it. Part of her hoped he'd open it right away but because she'd written FOR CHRISTMAS on it she doubted he would. She'd included some homemade treats in one box that were to be opened right away when they were received and she indicated that on the box as well.

Her anguish was interrupted by a knock at the door. Getting up and opening it she squealed when she saw Tatsuki in front of her. The girl had just come back from school having had her holiday start later than the others. Orihime hugged her friend tightly before bringing her inside.

"I'm so glad to see you Tatsuki, how has school been?" Orihime asked excitedly.

"It's been great, but hey, let's go get some lunch! I've been craving the ramen from our special joint ever since I left. Get your coat, let's go," the tomboy said enthusiastically.

The two friends did as she suggested and talked the whole walk there and through the whole meal.

"I have an early Christmas present for you but we have to take a car and you have to be blindfolded and have earplugs," Tatsuki said causing Orihime's eyes to widen.

"What on earth?" she asked but her friend merely smirked and shook her head. Consenting she took the earplugs and put them in while Tatsuki tied the blindfold around her eyes.

She led her outside and helped her into the car waiting for them. Orihime was nervous but excited. As they drove farther and farther she let her mind wander trying to figure out their destination. " _Maybe to Tokyo to the aquarium? Or perhaps the winter festival?"_ Try as she might she just couldn't figure where they could be going.

After not too long they stopped so Orihime figured they were not going to Tokyo. Maybe they were at the train station? But then she would hear the trains. Oh right, she had earplugs in, quite good ones too because she really couldn't hear anything except her own breathing.

Suddenly the blindfold was whipped off her eyes and she blinked at the brightness before removing the earplugs. They were at the airport!

Orihime turned wide eyes to Tatsuki but the girl merely smiled and said, "Follow me."

The red head complied and as she turned around she was shocked to see Uryu, Shuhei, Chad, Isshin, Yuzu and Karin standing near the check in counter. Uryu had a bag slung over his shoulder. They were all smiling.

"Is Kurosaki-kun coming home after all?" she asked excitedly clapping her hands. The group laughed and exchanged knowing glances.

"Not exactly, Inoue-san," Isshin said as he handed her an envelope. She frowned in confusion but opened it. When she read the contents she nearly fell over: **ROUND TRIP TOKYO, JAPAN TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS**

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up to the people in front of her, "I…I can't…" but her words were cut off by Tatsuki, "Orihime, you deserve this, so does Ichigo. Now, go on, Uryu packed your bags for you. The trip is through New Year's and I've already cleared it with the bakery." She hadn't noticed the suitcase because Chad was blocking it but he brought it forward and guided her gently into line to check it. Tatsuki handed Orihime her purse which now contained her passport that she had swiped while the girl was getting her coat.

Once she was checked in they all walked to the departure gate with her. She had a short flight from the small airport just outside Karakura to Tokyo and then a non-stop from there to Boston.

"Tatsuki, I don't know what to say," Orihime said.

"Just say thank you and after Ichigo reads your letter kiss him silly," she replied.

Orihime's eyes widened and she couldn't believe she had forgotten even for a moment that letter would be there while _she_ was.

Her breathing increased slightly and Uryu put a hand on her shoulder, "Inoue-san, don't worry, it will be better this way."

"What if he doesn't return my feelings? How is it better for me to be there when that happens?" she asked with fear in her voice.

Now Uryu turned her to face him, both hands on her shoulders, "Inoue-san, you have to know by now Ichigo is a man of _action_ not words. And to anyone looking his actions have screamed his love for you."

She hoped and prayed harder than she ever had in her whole life that he was right.

"Oh," she said as a thought occurred to her, "there's nothing in here saying where I will be staying."

Tatsuki grinned, "Stay with Ichigo. Trust me; once he gets you back in his sights he's not going to let you out of them."

Orihime blushed crimson because she knew Isshin had heard her but the father of the man she loved laughed loudly, "Inoue-san, you're the best thing to happen to my son and I really think he's come to realize it. We all love you and wish you the best of luck."

When her boarding call was announced she hugged all her friends goodbye and stepped up to the counter. Her passport was stamped, the ticket clipped and she turned one last time to wave goodbye.

"By the way, Ichigo thinks it's me who's coming to see him, try to take a picture of his face when he sees it's you!" Tatsuki shouted making Orihime one hundred times more nervous but it was too late to back out now. Plus, she really, really, really wanted to see him.

" _This is the best Christmas present ever,"_ she thought as she took her seat and sighing closed her eyes. She really was blessed with amazing friends.

{OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO}

Ichigo was lying on the couch watching a movie when his cell phone indicated he had a text message. Picking it up he saw it was from Uryu: _**Kurosaki, do not forget Arisawa-san's flight lands at 9 PM tonight, please make sure you are waiting for her at the gate.**_

"Tch, yeah, yeah Quincy, I got it," he muttered to himself as he wrote the same back to him.

Ichigo had to admit he was glad when he'd heard Tatsuki was coming to see him. She had a stopover in Boston while on her way to another tournament and needed a place to crash for a day before heading back on the road.

He got up to start changing into warmer clothes and smiled at the packages on the kitchen table. He'd received two from Orihime, one from Yuzu and one from Chad. He thought maybe he'd open them while Tatsuki was there with him, that way it would feel a little more like Christmas. He hadn't bothered with a tree since it was only going to be him around anyway.

Heading downstairs he went to the street and flagged a cab. He made it to the arrival terminal at 8:45 and was surprised to see someone standing with a sign that said KUROSAKI on it. Figuring there couldn't be that many of them around he walked up to the man.

The man was smiling as he approached and asked in a British accent, "Are you Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ichigo nodded with a look of confusion on his face.

"Good, then this is for you," he said and handed him an envelope but he didn't move away. Opening it he read:

 _ **Ichigo,**_

 _ **Please forgive the deception but I will not be able to join you for part of the holiday. I'm actually back in Karakura trying to imagine your face right now. All I'll say is Merry Christmas (and don't screw this up!)**_

 _ **-Tatsuki**_

Now Ichigo was supremely surprised and looked up at the man in front of him, "I don't suppose you know what this is all about?"

"Vaguely sir but I trust you'll know soon enough, I recommend watching that escalator," he advised and placed the sign on the ground but continued to wait with Ichigo.

Ichigo turned and watched as the once empty escalator filled with people coming down from the custom's check in. He scanned up and down the stairs when suddenly he saw a very familiar head of red orange hair. His eyes widened as he took in the site before him: Inoue Orihime descending the stairs looking for all the world like the lead in a romantic movie.

She was scanning around as well and as he stepped forward she spotted him. He could see her face flush as she waved shyly at him with a small smile on her face. When she had reached the bottom of the stairs she stepped off quickly and began slowly walking towards him. Suddenly he couldn't stand still anymore and rushed forward. He gathered her in his arms in a huge hug making her squeak.

He held her tightly and inhaled her scent. Kami how he'd missed her! He didn't realize just _how much_ until he saw her beautiful face, felt her in his arms, heard her giggle.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she asked when he hadn't let go yet. He relinquished his hold but stood close just marveling that she was really standing in front of him.

"Sorry, Inoue, I just…I missed you… a lot," he said a little awkwardly.

She blushed again and said, "Ano, I missed you too. Our friends are very sneaky, ne?"

He laughed and nodded, "Yes, but I'm thankful for them. Come on; let's go get your bag."

The man who had given him the envelope stepped forward again, "I took the liberty of gathering Miss Inoue's belongings as they were some of the first onto the barrage carousel. Oh, my name is Vincent and I'll be your driver this evening."

Ichigo couldn't believe his friends had gotten them a hired car but he wasn't going to complain. It was a pain in the ass to get a cab anywhere in the city but especially at the airport.

The two of them followed Vincent to the exit. He indicated they should wait until he'd loaded the car so they would not be waiting in the cold. That done he came back and escorted Orihime to the door and opened it for her while Ichigo got in on the other side.

The whole drive back to his place they talked, catching up on the various things they hadn't written to each other yet.

"Let me guess, they told you to stay with me?" he said with a smirk.

She nodded, blushing for she didn't know how many times that night.

He laughed slightly, "No problem, Connor is gone for the holidays and I'm sure he won't mind you using his bed for your stay."

They'd reached the dormitory and Vincent insisted on carrying the bags for them. "Should you require my services further your father has made arrangements, just give me a call," he said handing Ichigo a card.

"Um, thanks Vincent, we'll let you know," Ichigo answered and Orihime gave her thanks as well. Ichigo tipped the man before he left then shut the door.

Turning around Ichigo was all at once aware that he was standing in his very empty apartment with Orihime. The woman who had invaded his dreams almost every night.

" _How am I going to get through this without making myself look like a fool or a pervert?"_ he thought staring at her intently.

" **Geez King, does everyone have to spell it out for you?! Get over there and kiss her, sheesh."**

Ichigo gulped then cleared his throat and finally managed to speak, "Inoue, I...I" but the words wouldn't form. She watched him, waiting for him to continue but her concern over road her ability to stay silent.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" she asked then chastised herself for such a stupid question. Of course he wasn't ok! He was agitated about something. " _Maybe he's not really comfortable with me staying here,"_ she thought.

He just kept staring at her then ran his hand through his hair but the next moment he'd closed the distance between them and stood close to her.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she inquired.

"Inoue," he said her name like a caress and she felt her body shiver. " _What is going on? Am I dreaming?"_ she thought as she made her eyes stay fixed on his.

Slowly he leaned down, his hand now cupping the right side of her face, heating her up more than her blushing. Lower and lower he sunk his head until his forehead was against hers.

Ichigo finally did what he'd been longing to for so long and closed the distance between his and Orihime's lips kissing her softly. He felt her body stiffen at the contact but as he moved his other hand to cup the left side of her face she hadn't moved away. He applied more pressure and she responded, lifting herself on her toes to get closer to him. That little bit of motion was enough to send him into over drive.

He moved his hands away from her face to encircle his arms around her waist and picked her up as her arms wound round his neck. Still not feeling close enough to her he released her then gathered her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Moving to the couch he sat down and had her straddled on his lap, never breaking the kiss.

Orihime's heart was thundering in her chest, she couldn't believe she was kissing Ichigo! Surely this was a dream, this couldn't possibly be real. She felt his hands tracing up and down her back sending shivers through her body as her hands raked through his soft orange hair. She broke away to catch her breath only to have it stolen again as he kissed a hot path from her chin to her neck.

Both of their breathing patterns were ragged as he feasted on her sweet flesh, feeling he would never be satisfied. Her gasps and sighs were driving him crazy and he knew they were headed for danger.

" _Hmmm, dangerous curves ahead,"_ he thought with a slight smirk as his hand traced over her slim waist down to her perfect ass. He couldn't believe he'd lost this much control over himself! He hadn't planned on kissing her, much less ravishing the poor girl without even asking her permission. But the noises she was making, good Kami, the noises made him fairly sure she wasn't opposed to what was happening.

Finally he wrenched his mouth away from her tantalizing skin and rested his head on the back on the couch, trying to catch his breath, not yet ready to meet her eyes and break the spell they were currently under. But he knew they needed to stop. Things needed to be said, confessions confessed though that seemed fairly moot at this point.

After a few moments of silence, broken only by their inhales and exhales of oxygen Ichigo opened his eyes to meet those of the woman above him.

"Inoue," he said with a slight choke, "I…" but he couldn't find the words. He was always a man of action but he felt his actions required words. Words that would not come. He'd acted on instinct tonight and was wondering what the ramifications of what he'd done would bring.

"Ichigo," and the sound of his name out of her lips stirred deep in his heart, "do you have the packages I sent you?" That was not what he was expecting to hear but he nodded.

"Ok, can you get the letter that came with them?" she asked and removed herself from his lap. She didn't seem upset, in fact, she had a sweet smile on her face as she asked the question.

He still couldn't speak so he nodded again and moved to the table picking up the envelope.

He returned to find her sitting on the couch and she patted the spot next to her.

"Ichigo, I know you are a man of action, so I'll be a woman of letters," she said sweetly, "I was terrified to have you read that while I was here with you but now I'm not scared. It seems almost silly to have you read it now but I still want you to know how I feel and that best explains it."

He opened the letter and read it as she looked on:

 _ **Dearest Ichigo,**_

 _ **I know, it's probably a shock to have me calling you by your first name but I want you to understand the intimacy of this letter. For so long I have been afraid to tell you my true feelings for you but I believe the time for running and hiding is over. These next words are ones I spoke to you right before I left for Hueco Mundo. I was allowed to say goodbye to one person and of course I chose you even though you couldn't hear me.**_

 _ **There are a lot of things I wanted to do. I wanted to become a teacher, an astronaut, and a baker. I wanted to go to a bunch of different donut shops and ask for one of everything! And I wanted to tell the ice-cream man to give me one of everything, too! I wish I could have five lives! Then I could have been born in five different towns and eaten five lifetimes worth of food and had five different careers and…fallen in love with the same person, five times.**_

 _ **I love you Kurosaki Ichigo, with all my heart and soul, and I will stay by you no matter where you go or what you do if you will have me. If not, then please do not feel pressure to return my affections. You need not even reply to this, I will take your silence as confirmation that you do not return my feelings. But if you do, please let me know, because if so, I am eager to begin our next adventure.**_

 _ **Love (hopefully),**_

 _ **Orihime**_

He stared at it for a moment and then re-read it. Placing it reverently on the coffee table he turned to face her and looked in her eyes.

He reached out and grasped her face again gently before saying, "Orihime, I am so in love with you words literally can't express it. Yes, of course, I'll have you and am so glad you want me."

The next moment he was kissing her deeply pouring all his longing, his passion and his love into it.

From somewhere deep in the back of his mind he heard, " **Finally King, finally!"** And he knew that though the snow fell outside the rain in his soul had finally ended because he had his sunlight wrapped in his arms. At the same moment, Orihime was thinking, " _I may be a healer but this man…this man has completely healed my heart."_

 **Author's Note: So that chapter turned out MUCH different than I expected but it felt like the right moment for all the buildup they have been feeling for each other to erupt. Not sure if I will continue with more chapters or move onto one shots. What do you all think?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Ok, ok, I've heard the people speak, we'll keep going here. Warning, much fluff and stuff in this, very OOC for Ichigo but I know we all love it! ;)**

 **MeRcY: I plan on keeping the rating "T" for this so I won't be including a lemon in the main story, HOWEVER, I have a plan for a one shot lemon that will be directly tied to this and will write it and post the title once we've reached that point. So the passion will kick up a notch but I ask for a little more patience ;)**

 **sumtyms: I actually giggled that I managed to write something considered kawai, thank you!**

 **pfcvillanueva: You're right, there is a lot more material available. I had considered doing one shots of some big events (ie Christmas, the first time they sleep together, New Year's, the wedding, etc) especially since I kind of wrote the last two lines as ending lines but I think I can keep going fairly easily. I appreciate your enthusiastic response to the kiss.**

 **crista2311: You're very welcome, thank you for saying thank you, it's appreciated. I like Shuhei a lot too and have actually had a request to do a story for him from my friend Casey525 which I plan on doing. It may be a short multiple chapter or a one shot, I haven't decided yet.**

 **shadow61953: I've had those nights/mornings and I'm so pleased my story could scratch the itch. Thank you for your kind words and I hope the continuation will be to your liking.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 12 – Settling In

When Ichigo and Orihime separated from their latest kissing session both of them were a little breathless again. They just sat on the couch looking into each other's eyes for a moment as if both were trying to convince themselves this was really happening.

They'd hoped and dreamed of it for so long it really seemed like one or both of them should wake up and find out it hadn't happened. But the longer they looked at each other the more they came back down to earth and the fact that this was truly their new reality.

They were together, finally.

Ichigo smirked as he ran his fingers through her hair, "I can tell you're going to be detrimental to my reputation but I just can't seem to give a damn about it."

She giggled and leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips before murmuring, "I'll try not to be too clingy but no promises."

He reached forward and pulled her to him wrapping his arms around her more firmly, "I like clingy from you. I want you to cling to me, always."

She blushed, "And here you said you weren't good with words."

He chuckled and kissed her again. " _I will never tire of kissing her, ever,"_ he thought as he moved his lips gently against hers. Her scent was intoxicating and he was having a hard time staying chaste. His body was positively screaming to throw her on the couch and just have his way with her but he knew that was not how he wanted that to go. They'd get there in time.

"Ok, really, we should try to get some sleep," he said looking at the clock. Apparently they'd been kissing and making mushy talk to each other for over an hour and it was nearing 11:00.

"I know I said you could use Connor's bed, however, if you're comfortable with it," he said looking back into her eyes, "I'd much rather have you sleep in my bed with me. Nothing more than sleeping and we'll stay clothed but…" he trailed off and sighed, he really was quickly turning into a romantic mush puddle, "I really don't want you apart from me, even if it's just in the next room."

Orihime couldn't believe the words she was hearing but she smiled shyly and nodded her head. Together they stood and as they walked towards the hallway Ichigo stopped suddenly with a smile on his face. " _Gosh, if I thought he was handsome when he was scowling he's down right irresistible when he smiles!"_ she thought as she realized she had never seen him smile this much ever. It made her heart warm another degree or two knowing she was the cause of his obvious joy.

"I just realized I didn't give you "the tour"," he said teasingly, "Not that there is much to this place but we might as well do it now."

He turned and pointed behind them, "That, of course, is the living room."

"So far my most favorite room," Orihime interrupted good naturedly with a smile and he chuckled before continuing, "This over here is the kitchen. Not as stocked as yours I'm sure but we can go shopping tomorrow."

He turned and showed her the balcony before walking down the hall pointing out the bathroom and Connor's room as they walked. When they reached the end of the hall he said, "And this of course is my room."

She followed him in and took in the site. A full size bed, desk with bendy arm lamp and laptop, small rolling chair and a chaise lounge seat filled the room but it didn't feel over crowded. He had the pictures on the wall of friends and family that she had sent with him and it made her smile to see them. He had a window above his bed and she could see snow gently falling.

They were silent for a beat before Orihime sighed, "Well, I'll get my pajamas from my bag," and she turned to head back to the living room.

Ichigo followed her and picked up her bags to walk them back to Connor's room explaining, "This way you can have a place to change and keep your stuff. Trust me, Connor won't care." She nodded and went in, shutting the door to change her clothes.

Ichigo went back to his room to do the same. He headed to the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth. As he finished and came out Orihime was exiting Connor's room. She had on pink flannel patterned pants and a black long sleeve thermal shirt. He allowed her to pass into the bathroom and headed back to his room as she shut the door. He pulled back the covers and flopped down on the bed on his back, his breath exhaling in a long draft.

He was a little nervous as he had never shared a bed with anyone, let alone the woman he'd fallen in love with! He heard the bathroom door open and a moment later Orihime was walking into his room again.

He rotated to face her and gestured with his hand for her to come lay down next to him. She complied, not without a slight blush to her cheeks which he was rapidly growing fonder and fonder of, laying down with her back to him so he could spoon up next to her.

He pulled the covers up over them both and settled on to the pillow as he pulled her next to his body, her arm settling on top of his that he had wrapped around her waist. Inhaling deeply through his nose he was struck again with the effect her unique scent had on him. The only way he could describe it was deliciously feminine and knew he would always want to fall asleep and wake up with her next to him.

That thought taking root in his mind caused him to say softly, "Orihime?"

"Hmmm?" she responded, sounding like she was already almost asleep and it made him smile that she was so comfortable with him.

"Seeing as I already told you I love you this question seems kind of silly but I don't want to make assumptions. So…will you be my girlfriend?"

Orihime's eyes shot open and she shifted to look at him over her shoulder before she responded, "Absolutely, I would love to your girlfriend." He smiled and kissed her temple. They settled back down and before long were fast asleep nestled in each other's arms.

The next morning Ichigo woke to find he had shifted to his back during the night but he was pleasantly surprised to see and feel Orihime with her head in the crook of his arm and her leg wrapped over his. She was using him as a body pillow and he grinned like a fool over it. He felt her stir and planted a kiss on the top of her head causing her to look up at him with sleepily blinking eyes.

"Good morning," he said and she smiled at him.

"Good morning Ichigo," she replied before leaning up and kissing him swiftly on the lips. He loved that she initiated as much as he did but that kiss was not nearly enough and he caught the back of her head to pull her back up and kissed her more firmly.

Their lips were slightly parted, moving against each other, but when she tentatively licked his bottom lip he groaned slightly. Turning he wrapped her more fully into his embrace, his left arm swinging over to cage her more to his body as his hand joined the other wrapped up in her hair. He opened his mouth to meet her tongue with his and pushed forward until he'd made entrance into her mouth, slowly moving their tongues together. She was moaning into his mouth and he felt his libido spiking.

Feeling her this flush against his body was making it come to attention in all the right places but he'd promised himself he wouldn't push her into the next level of intimacy yet. They had just established this relationship and it would do no good to potentially over complicate it by having sex before they were really ready.

So with great effort he pulled back and opened his eyes, taking in her flushed face and slightly swollen lips. He was gratified to see the longing he felt reflected in her eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose and said, "Come on, let's get up and have some breakfast."

She nodded and extricated herself from his grasp, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to put her feet into her slippers.

"We should let everyone at home know I made it ok and that things worked out as they hoped," she said making him raise a quizzical eyebrow.

She giggled as she said, "Oh Ichigo, pretty much _everyone_ knew I was in love with you except you."

He shook his head but found that fact not unsurprising. He'd never been perceptive to that kind of stuff.

"Well, in my defense, though I know I was rather dense, I figured you were so far out of my league I didn't have a chance with you."

Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows in disbelief and she laughed, "Me?! Out of your league?! That's just hilarious. I'm not that special Ichigo and you're…you're…" she seemed lost for words but finally managed, "you're just amazing."

He'd stood by now and was towering over her with a serious look on his face that made her smile disappear.

"I never again want to hear you say that you're not special Orihime. You are the most special, no…spectacular woman I've ever met and I won't let anyone talk down to you or about you, including yourself. Understand?"

Her smile was back as she nodded and he kissed her soundly before taking her hand and leading her out to the kitchen. There they talked as he prepared them some waffles and bacon. Having eaten their fill they set about deciding what to do for the day.

"I heard on the radio there is a large cold front and snow storm coming in that should hit tonight so I think we should go to the store and stock up on food and some emergency supplies just in case. Then I can show you around the city before we settle in for the storm," Ichigo suggested.

Orihime thought this sounded perfect and headed to Connor's room to get dressed for the day. Before heading to his room to do the same Ichigo took a moment to group text everyone back in Karakura: **Thanks everyone for the best Christmas gift I could have asked for.** He got responses from everyone varying from **FINALLY** (Uryu and Tatsuki) to **We're so happy for you both** (Yuzu on behalf of her and Ichigo's family). Chad sent a thumbs up and it made Ichigo laugh.

When they'd bundled up against the elements Ichigo headed for the door. As he placed his hand in his pocket he felt Vincent's card and thought, " _What the hell, he said we could call him for anything."_

Digging it out he dialed the number and before long heard, "Hello, this is Vincent speaking, how may I help you?"

"Vincent, this is Ichigo Kurosaki," replied the orange hair.

"Ah, Mr. Kurosaki, what can I do for you?"

"Firstly, Mr. Kurosaki is my father, so you can call me Ichigo. Secondly, I was wondering if you were available to help my girlfriend and I run some errands and then maybe do a tour of the city? I only know so many places to take her, maybe you have some suggestions?"

"Absolutely Mr..eh hem…Ichigo, I can be to your residence in twenty minutes if that will do?"

"Perfect, thanks Vincent, we'll see you soon."

"Very good sir, oh and congratulations," the Englishman replied before saying goodbye.

Twenty minutes later Ichigo and Orihime were in the back seat of Vincent's car driving to various shops to gather groceries and supplies. After circling back to Ichigo's place to put everything away they headed back to the car and Vincent drove them about to see some of the sites Ichigo wanted to show Orihime. Her eyes were wide with wonder at all the beautiful historic buildings nestled amongst the tall modern buildings.

They decided to visit one of the museums as a means to stretch their legs and insisted that Vincent accompany them so he was not waiting in the cold car. They had both taken quite a liking to the middle age man and found him good company. He knew enough about the city that Orihime told him he should be a tour guide.

He laughed, "Thank you Ms. Inoue, however, I enjoy my job immensely, it gives me the opportunity to meet such lovely people as yourselves."

The three of them enjoyed their time at the museum, opting to have a late lunch/early dinner in a café next door, before heading back to Ichigo's. As they were driving Orihime spotted a Christmas tree lot and asked if they could stop to pick up a small tree.

"I don't really have any decorations," Ichigo said but one look at her face and he decided they'd figure something out. He knew Christmas was one of her favorite holidays and he didn't want it spoiled by not allowing her to decorate. Plus, if he were honest with himself, he missed the cheery setting Yuzu, Karin and his father created every year.

They stopped and picked out a mid-size tree that would fit in front of the stationary window of the balcony opening. The lot was selling ornaments and decorations as well so they picked up a couple boxes along with garland and candy canes. Ichigo and Vincent tied the tree to the roof of the car and they headed back to the dorms.

Once again Vincent made himself available to help cart up their belongings.

"Well, today has been magnificent, thank you so much for including me in your outing. It was very generous to include me in what I take, if I understand the situation correctly, was your first date?"

Orihime blushed slightly and Ichigo smirked, "Yeah, well, thanks to you we didn't have to fight everyone in Boston for a taxi repeatedly. Honestly, we enjoyed your company, thanks a lot. How much do I owe you?"

Vincent shook his head, "It's already taken care of. You young people enjoy the rest of your evening and make sure to stay indoors for the next few days, we're definitely going to have a white Christmas this year."

He shook Ichigo's hand, kissed Orihime's and left with a jovial wave.

Ichigo and Orihime set to putting up the tree and decorating it. When it was completed they had a light meal of sandwiches and chips at the breakfast bar before turning on the wall mounted fireplace and snuggling onto the couch to watch a movie.

Orihime sighed deeply and looked up at Ichigo before saying, "I love you so much."

He grinned down at her, kissed her softly then murmured against her lips, "Love you too, Hime."

Her eyes widened slightly at his term of endearment but she smiled and kissed him again, this time a little more lingeringly. Before long the movie was forgotten as they became lost in each other's embrace.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Ahem…FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF. Feeling depressed? Read a sad IchiHime story? Read this**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 13 – Christmas Adventure

Two days later it was Christmas Eve and the storm front had still not yet hit so Orihime and Ichigo had opportunity to explore the city together more. They walked around downtown and though it was crowded with last minute shoppers they didn't mind. It just meant they had to walk closer together, Ichigo's arm protectively around Orihime's shoulders keeping her warm and safe.

During their wanderings they walked by a somewhat run down building on the edge of downtown. Orihime looked up with a slight frown, trying to figure out why she felt…off. Looking down she noticed a small child sitting on the stoop of the building. The little one looked up and they could both see she was a girl. They could also see she was shivering and her eyes were a little glazed over.

Stepping forward Orihime knelt in front of her to bring herself to eye level with the little girl before she said, "Hello sweetie, what are you doing out here?"

The girl stared at them both for a moment before answering, "I'm waiting for the postman." Ichigo frowned but then noticed her hands clutched multiple envelopes.

"Oh? Why not put them in the mailbox?" he asked taking a similar position next to his girlfriend so he didn't tower over her.

The girl shook her head, "Oh no, they can't go into just any mailbox. These have to go to the special one at the mall, the one meant for Santa."

Orihime smiled softly at the girl, "I see and will the postman take them there?"

The girl shrugged, "I hope so."

Looking at the envelopes Orihime saw they had no stamps but figured whatever mailbox they were going to be put into would possibly not require them.

She looked at Ichigo and he had already read her thoughts so he voiced them, "How about this? Since my girlfriend and I will were going to the mall anyway we'll take them for you."

The girl's eyes widened and for the first time she smiled. It lit up her whole face and the pair were pleased to see it.

"You'd really do that?!" she exclaimed.

"Of course, here, let's make sure they are all ready to go and we'll take them. Once we're done we'll pass back this way to let you know so you don't have to worry," Orihime said with a big smile of her own.

"Ok yeah," the girl said and set about to reviewing the envelopes, making sure they were all properly labeled and sealed. Satisfied she handed them to the kindhearted couple in front of her.

"I didn't ask your names," she said as they rose and Ichigo answered, "I'm Ichigo and this is Orihime."

"Where are you from? You don't sound like you're from here," the girl asked with curiosity in her eyes.

Orihime answered, "We're from Japan. Ichigo is going to school here and I came to visit for the Christmas holiday."

"My name is Crystal, thanks again for your help! Everyone will be so excited to know that we'll get a visit from Santa this year," the girl said, her voice having grown stronger in her excitement. She scurried back up the stairs and gave them one last wave before disappearing through the doors.

The pair chuckled slightly and taking each other's hands began to make their way to the mall. They had gone about a block before they heard the sound of running feet and turned to see a man making their way to them. At first Ichigo was prepared to fight him off but looking more closely he could see the man was no threat and had come from the same house they'd just left.

"Excuse me," he breathed heavily his breath showing in puffs of white steam, "you are no doubt the orange haired nice couple Crystal was talking about."

Ichigo couldn't help a slight scowl but Orihime giggled and answered in the affirmative.

"Excellent, well, I had to catch you and retrieve those letters from you," the man continued.

"Um, why sir?" Orihime asked perplexed.

The man sighed and then remembering his manners stuck out his hand, "Sorry, in my haste to get to you I forgot about introductions. I'm Harold Maxus and I run the orphanage you just left from."

Ichigo and Orihime shook his hand as he continued, "I apologize for the bluntness of my statement, however, those letters cannot go to the mall. We…we don't have enough money to afford to get anything the children have asked for. Cruel as it may seem it's…it's just better if they think Santa never got the letters. We have so many young ones who's Christmas spirit I don't want to crush completely but…we just can't afford it."

Orihime's heart broke; the poor things couldn't even get one present? Suddenly she felt both very blessed and very over provided for. Even when she and Sora were at the end of their resources he always managed to get her some sort of Christmas or birthday gift. She felt tears stinging her eyes before she could stop them.

Ichigo cleared his throat, "I'm not sure I understand. If the letters are dropped off at the mall how are they getting fulfilled by "Santa"?"

Harold explained, "The mailbox is at the beginning of a long line to see Santa but it's really just a shoot that goes to a room filled with people who process them. By the time a child who has dropped in a letter reaches the front of the line their guardians are given a slip of paper with the wishes on it. It's given to them at the same time their receipt for their picture is so the children suspect nothing. Then the guardians know what they asked Santa for."

Understanding reached both of them and the realized Harold was right. If they had come back and said they delivered the letters but no presents came the kids would either think they had been "bad" or the jig would be up and they'd find out there was no Santa.

Orihime took out the letters and counted them. There were twenty total; twenty children who had no one to provide a proper Christmas for them. She could tell Harold and no doubt the others running the orphanage cared for the children but they had to feed and clothe them, they couldn't afford extras.

Ichigo looked at his girlfriend and was reminded again how huge her heart was. He'd planned on going to buy her something extra special for Christmas since he'd mailed her gift when he didn't know she would be here. Plus, what he'd bought her before they'd gotten together hadn't fulfilled his true sentiments. He took the letters but instead of handing them to the man in front of him he placed them in the inner pocket of his outer coat and met the man's eyes.

"The kids will have their Christmas, leave it to us," he said firmly. The man stuttered, clearly shocked. Orihime's eyes had shot to her boyfriend's face and though they still held tears she was smiling now. She turned to face the man as well and nodded her head in agreement.

"How? I mean, you don't have to do this," Harold faltered out.

"We know, but we want to," Orihime said, "and we'll bring food, lots of food and treats for them. They deserve something special. Don't worry, trust us."

Harold stood dumbstruck for a moment before stepping forward and hugging the pair.

"You're angels, real life Christmas angels," he breathed out, clearly overcome with emotion.

They patted his back a little awkwardly and he stepped back.

"We'll be back, go back to the children," Ichigo said and they turned to get started on their Christmas adventure.

After they had rounded a bend and were in a surprisingly quiet part of the street Orihime suddenly sprung in front of Ichigo and wrapped her arms about his neck. She leaned up on her very tiptoes and kissed him soundly. He hugged her waist tightly, returning the affection before pulling back and looking in her eyes.

"Told you that you'd ruin my reputation," he murmured as he rubbed her nose with his.

She giggled and kissed him again, "Ichigo, other than being here with you this is the best Christmas gift you could have given me. The fact that you knew it without my even saying anything proves again just how wonderful you are."

"It proves how well I know you, probably better than you ever thought," he answered back.

They held each other for a moment longer before he continued, "Come on, let's get out of the cold and formulate a game plan. We're going to have to hurry, especially if we want to get some sort of dinner and desserts done for them as well."

Taking refuge in a café they ate a small breakfast while opening the envelopes. They planned on getting one thing for each child and instead of cooking would have a proper Christmas dinner catered. Ichigo was doubtful they could pull it off but figured it was worth a shot. He called a mom and pop restaurant he frequented and explained the situation.

"Son, after what you did, we'll do anything to help. Leave it to us, I know the place you're talking about and we'll have the dinner delivered and set up by 6:30. I'll call them to let them know," said Robert, the owner. Ichigo could hear his wife Cheryl's agreement from over the line and smiled.

When Ichigo passed on the results to Orihime she cocked her head slightly in the inquisitive look he loved, "What did they mean after what you did?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck, a gesture of embarrassment or nervousness, as he answered, "Oh well, I was eating there one night after classes and some guy came in with a gun. I guess after all the crap I've faced a gun just seemed silly. He didn't see me in the booth and when he'd walked forward to threaten Cheryl I snuck up behind him and knocked him out. They called the police and he was carted off to jail. Ever since then they've treated me like a son. They try to give me my food for free but I won't let them. I just leave money on the table and let them sort it out."

Orihime simply smiled at him and squeezed his hand, if possible falling even more in love with him at that moment. They went back to the list and made their plans on where to go to get the items they needed.

They set about gathering the various toys and items asked for by the children, ages ranging from four to thirteen. Once they were loaded down with packages they trekked back to Ichigo's dorm.

As Orihime set about organizing the items and making sure they knew which labels to put on which presents Ichigo headed back to the store where he worked. The owner had given him a key in case of emergencies and he let himself in to purchase more wrapping supplies. He left money in the cash register and filed the receipt.

He picked up a pizza for lunch on his way back to the dorms. They ate quickly before setting to the task of wrapping the presents. It took them just over three hours to get everything wrapped.

Ichigo looked at the stack in front of them and decided they would need some help. He called Vincent, apologizing for disturbing him during his holiday but the man laughed.

"No, no my dear boy, I'm alone this year. My family couldn't make the journey and I couldn't return this year. I am extremely pleased to help you in your good deed and more happy that the weather has cooperated to make it possible. What time would you like to deliver the gifts? I trust it will be late in the evening so the children are not aware of the true providers of such a generous provision?"

"Right, Orihime and I are going to join them for dinner though and since you're helping I'd like you there too. I'm sure the orphanage heads will understand your role but for the children we'll just say you're a friend, which of course you are. Dinner is at 6:30 but would you mind picking us up at 6:00?"

"Works perfectly, I will see you and Ms. Inoue then," Vincent replied and hung up.

Ichigo turned to his girlfriend, both of them tired from their busy morning and afternoon.

"Come on Hime," he said putting his hand out to her, "let's take a nap, it's going to be a long night."

She nodded and taking his hand walked down the hall. She stopped off in Connor's room to change into a t-shirt and sweat pants while Ichigo changed into a t-shirt and basketball shorts. They climbed into his bed, he set an alarm for 5:00 PM and they were soon fast asleep.

The alarm sounded a couple hours later and the two of them set about getting ready for the evening. They dressed one step up from casual to try to make this night special for the kids. Orihime wore black fleece lined leggings shoed in long black boots under a long sleeved red dress and cream coat while Ichigo donned grey wool slacks and white sweater with black boots. Ichigo had told Harold to please let Crystal know they had delivered the letters so he knew she would not be worrying that they had not accomplished their task.

Vincent picked them up precisely at 6:00 and they headed over to the orphanage, arriving just as Robert and Cheryl did. The five of them unpacked a veritable feast and headed up the stairs. Harold was overwhelmed with appreciation.

The dining table had been set and decorated by the kids with whatever they could find being filled with handmade paper snowflakes, candy canes and a red table runner over a white table cloth. The plates were green plastic and the centerpiece made from poinsettia plants. They set the food out on to three long folding tables to be served buffet style.

Once everything was set up Harold and his wife Karen called up the stairs to tell the children to come down for dinner. A cacophony of noise was heard as twenty children descended into the room. Their eyes widened at the site before them.

"Alright form up," Harold commanded firmly but with warmth in his tone. Immediately the children fell into line smallest to largest. Orihime and Ichigo's eyes widened at the display of complete obedience.

Karen smiled next to them, "Harold was the best drill sergeant in his unit. He gives these kids the discipline they need but he loves them with his whole heart."

The children split into two lines of ten as directed by Robert so that they could serve themselves more quickly. Then the adults followed and sat down at the table. It turned out to be two long wood tables able to accommodate up to thirty people.

They ate and talked with the children, getting to know them as the meal was enjoyed.

Crystal looked a Ichigo, "Thank you again for what you did. We'll never forget it."

He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. They stayed around long enough to play some games with the children and before long it was time for them to go to bed.

"Story time!" Jessica, a four year hold, exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, head on up and everyone get changed, I'll be there soon," Karen said but the girl with ginger hair in pigtails shook her head and pointed to Orihime, "Story from the princess!"

Ichigo's eyes widened and he chuckled a little that even in America Orihime managed to come across as a princess. He agreed and was glad she was _his_ princess now.

Orihime fluttered her hands in front of her in an effort to dispel the request but the rest of the children chiming in won her over.

"Ok, now everyone, upstairs! Faces washed, teeth brushed, in PJs and into bed in fifteen minutes. Ms. Inoue will be up then to tell her story," Harold said. Again his orders were complied with swiftly.

Once everyone was situated Orihime entered the room with Ichigo.

"Ok everyone, I'll tell you the story of a handsome warrior who saved a lonely princess from a tower," she said her eyes shining. She proceeded to tell an augmented version of their own story and Ichigo chuckled with the knowledge that the wonder the kids were looking at her with would have increased tenfold had they realized she was telling them the absolute, if less detailed, truth.

As she ended her tale she saw that most of the children were asleep. The older ones had managed to stay awake for the whole thing and promised to tell the younger ones the ending.

As they were saying goodnight Karen and Harold hugged them both tightly.

"How can we ever repay you?" Karen asked with tears in her eyes.

"Simple, keep taking care of these children, you're doing a great job," Orihime said.

Ichigo nodded before saying, "Ok, we're heading back to pick up the gifts and will be back. Give us a key and you go to bed, we'll leave it in a safe place when we're done."

They nodded and gave Ichigo the key as requested. He, Orihime and Vincent left to complete the next phase of their Christmas "miracle".

They made the round trip quickly in the almost empty streets. After placing all the gifts under the tree Orihime shivered. It was freezing in the house! Heading to the basement she found the boiler had ruptured without anyone knowing and the heat from earlier in the evening had completely dissipated.

Glancing up the stairs to make sure Vincent wasn't close by she whispered, "Soten Kishun," sending her fairies out to fix it. She felt that Harold and Karen deserved a real miracle for all they did for these children.

Ichigo felt the heat returning and one look at Orihime's face told him what'd she'd done. He pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head before whispering, "I think I should start calling you goddess now Hime." She sighed and hugged him back.

"Ok, that's all done now, glad to see the heat finally kicked back on," Vincent said rubbing his hands together. Both orange hairs chuckled softly but didn't make any comment.

Vincent got them back to the dorms as midnight neared.

"Well, a pleasure as always with you two, have a very Merry Christmas," he said with a bow and left from the threshold.

Ichigo turned back to Orihime and engulfed her in another hug, holding her until he heard the chime of the clock in the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, Hime," he spoke softly into her hair.

"Merry Christmas, Ichigo," she responded and kissed him.

 **Author's Note: Like I said, fluff, but sometimes you just need an overly sweet indulgence. Hope it was enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thanks to nypsy for reminding me to expand on what drew Orihime to the orphanage and to not just leave them hanging. I realized it after I posted the last chapter but figured I could do a small filler here.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 14 – Making Plans

The day before New Year's Eve found Orihime and Ichigo seated at a table at Robert and Cheryl's restaurant enjoying a meal with the couple. Despite the upcoming holiday the city had been surprisingly quiet so the middle-aged owners had an opportunity to sit down on their dinner break and were delighted to share it with their new young friends.

"Ichigo, where did you get that sweater, it's such a great color," Cheryl asked looking over the navy blue knit.

"Orihime made it for me for Christmas," Ichigo answered smiling.

Cheryl and Robert looked at her, their faces showing how impressed they were with her skills.

"And since we've been holed up during the storm she worked on some blankets for the kids at the orphanage. I think she's gotten three of done with a fourth almost complete."

"Speaking of them," Cheryl asked after taking a sip of her iced tea, "Orihime, I meant to ask you, how did you end up in the area where the orphanage is? That's not on the main thoroughfare with the shops and such."

The healer smiled softly, "I've always had somewhat of a sixth sense for emotions and the feeling around that building was…sad. I guess it comes from having grown up without parents too. That's why I'm so thankful those kids have Harold and Karen! I just wish there was more we could do besides one special Christmas. I mean, what happens next year for them?"

Ichigo smiled at his girlfriend. She'd always had such a big heart and wanted to help anyone and everyone should could. Even their enemies were not immune to her desire to help.

Robert had a thoughtful look on his face then snapped his fingers, "I've got it! I can't believe we haven't thought of this before. Cheryl, what if we bring up the orphanage at the next neighborhood watch meeting? The representatives of those blocks would be present and we could ask them for ideas! Maybe even get signups for next year and see if we can't actually take the kids to the mall and do the whole Santa letter thing properly?"

"But what about the money it would take? I mean, if the orphanage got better funding sure," Ichigo said but Cheryl interrupted him excitedly, "No, no, what Robert means is the neighborhood would fund the Christmas! With all those kids have been through and all that Harold and Karen sacrifice for them surely we as a community can step up to help!"

Orihime clapped her hands, "That would be amazing!"

"And," Robert continued, "Cheryl and I will commit to catering Christmas dinner every year. We'll set aside funding for it ahead of time and also ask for donations the month before. It will be great!"

The four of them continued talking about this new plan, writing out ideas and answers to questions they would most likely get at the watch meeting. After they'd enjoyed pieces of hot apple pie ala mode Ichigo and Orihime rose from the table. Ichigo placed some bills down despite Cheryl's protests with a smirk.

"You two have been such a great addition to this city and to our lives in particular, I hope you'll be sticking around," Cheryl said as she hugged them both.

"Well, Ichigo will be here for school for a couple years, but I'll be heading back to Japan a couple days after the new year," Orihime answered somewhat sadly. She'd only been there a little over a week but loved it so much she was sad to be leaving, mostly of course because she'd be leaving Ichigo and wasn't sure when they'd be back together again. It was expensive to travel back and forth but he was committed to his program and she didn't want him changing his plans just for her.

"Hopefully you can come back real soon," Robert said hugging them as well. They bid their farewells and headed back to the dorms.

This was the first night they'd been able to go out since the large snow storm finally hit and they were enjoying their time even though it was still bitterly cold outside.

Not that they'd minded being confined indoors together at all. They'd binge watched Netflix shows and movies, played board games, read and discussed chapters of books from Ichigo's recommendation list he'd given Orihime all those months ago, Orihime knitted the blankets for the kids (having procured a bunch of yarn and some needles before the storm hit) and spent time snuggled up just enjoying being together.

And while the temptation certainly was there, neither had pushed forward to take the physical element of their relationship to the next level, though both were becoming less and less able to hold their resolve.

It wasn't that they didn't want to but both felt establishing their new relationship was important before moving forward.

When they'd reached "home" Ichigo found a text from Conner on his cell phone where he'd left it on the counter. He read it with Orihime peering over his shoulder.

" **Yo, Ichigo, sorry for the late Christmas wishes, we've been so busy I forgot to call. Anyway, I'm sure you've been holed up in depression by yourself these past couple weeks. Really, you should call the pretty red head and tell her you love her already** _ **."**_ Here Ichigo blushed slightly and Orihime was stunned he'd talked about her at all to anyone but she smiled to know it. " **Anyway, the other reason I'm texting is to invite you to join us at our New Year's Eve party. Every year my dad rents out a banquet hall and a block of hotel rooms. We have an extra one and we want YOU to come! So call me asap. Talk to you later."**

Ichigo looked at his girlfriend, "Well, do you want to go? It will give you an opportunity to see another big city and wear the dress Ishida gave you."

Orihime smiled brightly thinking of the beautiful semi-formal dress her dear friend had made her. It was a deep, rich burgundy red one shoulder floor length dress with a slit cut up that hit her mid thigh. There was intricate bead work all over the flowing skirt in various shades of red and some black which caught the light and made it shimmer slightly.

The card had read, " _To Inoue-san, I hope you enjoy dressing up in this someday. Every woman should have that "one dress" and I hope this is that for you. To Kurosaki: Make sure to take her somewhere nice!"_

They'd both laughed at the card and Orihime had texted Uryu her absolute love of the dress.

"Do you think it's that fancy of a party?" she asked.

"Let me find out," he replied and pulling out his cell called Connor.

"Ichigo! Glad you called me, how's it going?" he heard his roommate exclaim.

"It's going real good, how are you and Caitlyn?" 

"Great, and I'm glad it's going real good for you, last we saw you things were looking pretty grim," Connor replied slightly surprised at his roommate's upbeat tone. Ichigo was never upbeat.

"Wait a minute," Connor said, comprehension dawning, "Something good happened with Inoue huh?"

"Yeah, I was going to try to surprise you but you're too smart for your own damn good. She's actually here with me, has been since before Christmas."

"WHAT?! Dude, that's awesome! And judging by your attitude I'd say things went well yeah?" 

Ichigo glanced at Orihime who was now sitting on the couch working on finishing the fourth blanket, "Yeah, it worked out really, really well. We'd love to come for tomorrow if you have room for two."

"For sure! Oh man, wait till Caitlyn hears about this, she's going to flip! We can't wait to meet her. The dress code is a bit fancy so I hope you have at least a suit?"

"Yeah, we've got everything we need," Ichigo replied.

"Ok great, then make sure you get an early train from the South Station and we'll pick you up at the station in New York. Buy your tickets right now before they sell out and text me your arrival time."

"Will do, thanks Connor, we'll see you both tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Ichigo walked to his bedroom and immediately purchased two train tickets like Connor advised. He was able to get them a 6:00 AM train which meant they'd be to NYC by 9:45 AM giving them plenty of time to see a couple sites before the party at night.

He was glad they would have somewhere indoors and warm because he _really_ wanted to see Orihime in her new dress. He'd never seen her that dressed up before and was looking forward to it.

Coming back into the living room he found Orihime had laid her head down on the arm of the couch and was snoring lightly. He chuckled as he moved towards her and extricated the knitting from her hands.

Setting it aside he came back and kissed her cheek, then her forehead and then her eyes before saying, "Wake up Hime," his voice made her blink her eyes open at him. "Sorry to wake you but we have a really early train tomorrow so we've got to pack tonight then we can go to bed ok?"

She nodded and sat up, stretching before she stood. Ichigo couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over her perfect figure and for not the first time he had to move away from her before he gave into his impulses.

Heading to his room he started packing when he stumbled across the package his dad had sent with Orihime. They'd both assumed it was a present he merely didn't wrap because it would be in her bag but when Ichigo had opened it he'd found condoms in it! Thankfully, because he knew his father was crazy, he'd opened it while Orihime was in the bathroom so she hadn't seen them.

But now, he thought, maybe, just maybe he'd need them. So he buried them deep in his suitcase. He felt a little pervy about it but at the same time he was pretty sure Orihime was desiring the same thing as him and it was better to be safe than sorry.

He finished packing, laying his suit on top of the rest of his clothing. It was basic black and he chose a navy blue shirt and white tie to go with it. He was glad he'd invested a little money in the pants and jacket as he knew Orihime was going to be a knock out and he wanted to look his best for her.

By the time he'd finished Orihime was done with her packing as well and they set their suit cases out by the door.

Once again Ichigo called Vincent for a ride and he was happy to take them despite the pre-dawn pick up time.

"I'm used to getting up early, my boy, no trouble at all," he'd said and they planned for him to pick them up at 5:00 to give them plenty of time.

After printing their tickets and making sure again that they had everything ready to go in the morning the couple prepared for and snuggled into bed, both looking forward to their New York City adventure.

 **Author's Note: OK boys and girls, their New York City adventure is going to be a one shot separated out from this main story line because it will contain a lemon. I wanted to keep the rating consistent for this so if you don't enjoy lemons or are not of age to read them don't read my one shot entitled "New Year's Eve in NYC". I'll continue the main fluffy story line here as Chapter 15 and it will flow, just won't have the details of their New Year's loving.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Thanks for Reviews of "New Year's Eve in NYC"**

 **Crista2311: Thank you for the compliment, I worked hard to create those moments for them and I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Pfcvillanueva: I hope it wasn't too intense, I know it was descriptive but I try not to take things too far. I've read some fic where I thought, "whoa, that was a little much" but to each their own as the saying goes.**

 **C.A.M.E.O 1and Only: Thank you**

 **Casey525: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 15 – Stay

Ichigo and Orihime woke up around noon on New Year's Day having stayed up half the night in a haze of passion and bliss. Their train wasn't leaving until that evening so they still had plenty of time to spend with Connor and Caitlyn exploring those parts of the city they'd missed the previous day.

Caitlyn gave Orihime a knowing look. "So how did it go?" she asked conspiratorially. One look at the blush on Orihime's face told her all she needed to know and she gave the woman a discreet high five.

"Connor was happy too, said I should thank you for inspiring me," she continued with a wink. If possible Orihime's blush intensified with mortification that Connor knew what they'd been up to.

"Oh please, he could read the signs on the dance floor honey, there was no mistaking what was going to take place, so don't worry about it," Caitlyn laughed.

The healer decided not to think on it too much and instead focused on enjoying the rest of the time they had in the city. After all, tomorrow she'd be on a plane back to Japan. The thought of that almost made her break down right there but she held it together somehow.

The rest of the day was spent running around the city and picking up souvenirs for friends back home. Before they knew it the foursome was due at the train station. Connor had arranged to have their luggage transported from the hotel so they would not have to circle back around to it at the end of their day.

Stepping on the train they settled into their seats and as it began to move the girls nestled their heads on the shoulders of their men, falling asleep easily. Ichigo and Connor exchanged looks of amusement and leaned their heads on the windows, both also falling asleep despite the odd angles.

Four hours later the announcement of their arrival roused all from slumber. Stretching they made their way to the exit and once again waited for their luggage to be unloaded.

"Happy New Year," Ichigo heard Vincent's voice say as he approached him hand outstretched. Taking it and shaking firmly he replied, "Thanks, same to you Vincent. Thanks again for the pick up."

"My pleasure, are you all headed to the same destination?" he asked.

Connor nodded as he replied, "Yes, thanks you."

Before long all their luggage had been gathered, ensconced in the trunk of Vincent's car and the driver along with his four passengers buckled into their seats.

The drive back was filled with the two young couples telling Vincent about their New York City adventures.

"My, you squeezed a lot into two days, I'm impressed," he chuckled, "I barely managed to stay awake until midnight and then hit the hay."

Having arrived at their destination the three men handled moving suitcases and packages up the stairs into the boys' dorm room.

Turning to go Vincent stopped as Ichigo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Um, we'll need one more pick up and drop off tomorrow," he said with a heavy countenance. Vincent, of course, didn't need to be told why.

"What time?" was all he asked.

"8PM, her flight is at 9:30," replied the downcast man. Ichigo wished he could stop time, but of course that was a fruitless wish. Tomorrow would come and with it Orihime's departure back to Karakura.

The man before him patted his arm comfortingly and exited the room. Shutting the door Ichigo sighed as he dropped his head. It was late, he knew they should sleep, but he just didn't want to waste a moment of her time here.

Turning he found that Orihime was no longer behind him. Moving down the hall he found her sitting on the chaise lounge and the shaking of her shoulders caused his heart to burn. He'd always hated seeing her cry but knew it was inevitable given what was coming.

Landing softly next to her he wordlessly drew her onto his lap, arms around her waist, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. As her arms fell about his neck her crying became more pronounced, drawing Connor and Caitlyn to door. They looked upon their friends with sad eyes.

Caitlyn leaned up to whisper something to Connor and he nodded. Silently the couple retreated back to his room. A few minutes later Ichigo heard their steps down the hallway before they went to and out the door. The soft click of the door shutting encased them in silence save for Orihime's sobs and hiccups. Ichigo clenched his arms around her tighter and thought of the irony of the situation.

He'd had her taken away from him by enemies more powerful than those he'd ever faced. He defied the odds and come back from the dead and won the day all because she believed in him. And though he knew their separation would not be permanent the thought of the dawn breaking signifying the day of her departure was coming and there was literally nothing he could do to stop it.

Squeezing his eyes shut he felt a burning in them not felt for years and years. They'd just gotten started in this and now she had to leave! He had no doubt they could make long distance work, hell, they'd been loving each other "long distance" for a while now but the pain of being parted wouldn't go away no matter what rational explanations he gave himself.

Eventually, when Orihime's crying had died down, she finally looked up at his face. Eyes puffy, nose red and mouth dry she still looked incredibly beautiful to him. He kissed her forehead, whispering against her hairline, "Hime, we need to get ready for bed, come on."

She nodded, standing up from his warm lap to change. Ichigo moved to the dresser taking out one of his night shirts and handing it to her. Stripping quickly she threw it over her head and climbed into bed as Ichigo followed suit opting to wear the pants which matched the shirt he'd given her.

Emotional exhaustion had spilled over to physical and both were soon asleep.

The next morning Ichigo woke to find Orihime staring at his face. She smiled softly as she said, "Good morning."

"Morning, Hime," he rumbled back groggily kissing her lightly. She snuggled in closer to fend off the cold of the room.

After a few moments Ichigo stirred. "I'll make us some coffee, you stay here," he yawned, getting up and tucking the covers back over her.

Reaching the kitchen he found a note on the fridge:

 _Ichigo, Caitlyn and I are going to make ourselves disappear today. We know this is not going to be easy on either of you and wanted to give you your space. Tell Orihime we loved meeting her and can't wait to see her again soon. See you late tonight. – Connor_

Ichigo marveled at their consideration and thoughtfulness. Thankful for having made such good friends so far from home he stretched as he waited for the coffee to brew. He sensed Orihime behind him and turned to see her standing wrapped in one of the blankets.

He smiled lightly, "Hime, you'd be warmer in the bed, I was coming right back."

"I know, but I don't want to be apart from you anymore than I have to," she murmured as she stepped forward to encase him in a hug, the blanket cover him partially as she drew her arms around him.

He returned the embrace, taking a deep breath. After the coffee finished brewing they enjoyed a cup each along with breakfast sandwiches Ichigo heated up for them in the microwave.

Orihime headed back to the room to drop off the blanket and then to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

She was startled when she heard the shower door open and saw Ichigo walking in as he shut it behind him.

"I don't want to be apart from you either," he said huskily before kissing her deeply, running his hands over her wet hair and down her back, settling his hands on her hips.

Orihime's arms wrapped around him as she kissed him back. They took their time, washing each other's body and hair, enjoying touches and caresses and just being together. When they'd finished Ichigo grabbed a towel and dried her off, taking care to shower affectionate kisses as he went. She returned the favor and soon both were breathing heavily from their passion being ignited again.

Without a word Ichigo took her back to the room, thankful again for his roommate's consideration since they were stark naked walking through the hallway, and laid her on the bed.

They made love over and over throughout the day, on the bed, on the chaise, and finally back in the shower.

Lunch had been bypassed but as the dinner hour rolled around both lovers were famished for food. It was doubtful they'd ever truly get their fill of each other but that was a hunger they didn't mind attempting to satiate.

Ichigo placed an order to Robert who offered to have it delivered. Normally Ichigo would have told him not to bother but he wanted no second to go to waste so he agreed. The kind hearted man brought them a feast of tender roast beef, salad and bread sticks topping it off with a whole apple pie and quart of vanilla ice cream.

"No, no" he said holding up his hand to Ichigo's proffered one containing payment, "This is our "till next time" gift to Orihime. Have a safe flight dear," he finished and shut the door before Ichigo could argue further.

They ate in mostly silence, neither needing to say anything to know what the other was thinking. All too soon it was nearing 8:00 and both knew Vincent would be right on time.

Orihime changed into jeans, a t-shirt and sweatshirt over it with sneakers. Ichigo wrapped his large puffy jacket around her before throwing on his lighter zipped hoodie. A knock at the door signaled Vincent's arrival.

"Good evening, though I'm sure you don't feel it is at the moment," he said sadly taking in the girl's tear filled eyes.

The ride to the airport was quiet and soon Ichigo found himself preparing to say goodbye to Orihime again.

" _It's too soon, I…I can't stand that she's leaving,"_ he thought as they walked towards the ticket counter where she would check in her luggage before moving to the security line. Orihime was crying softly, trying to stem the flow but failing miserably. He couldn't go right to the departure gate with her and it was killing her.

As they neared the lines she began to pull away but Ichigo simply held her hand tighter. She sighed, not wanting to let go either but knowing she needed to move to the line.

She walked forward but he pulled her into a fierce embrace, the crushing of his arms around her taking her breath away slightly.

"Ichi-" she began but he cut her off with one word, "Stay."

Eyes widening she managed to pull away enough to look at his face.

"What did you say?" She'd heard him but still couldn't believe he'd said it.

"Orihime, stay, please stay here with me. I…I know it's sudden and we've only been together a short time, but…I can't be apart from you. I need you here with me."

"Ichigo, I…" Orihime trailed off, at a loss for words. She knew what her heart was telling her but her stupid brain kept stepping in with questions. What about her schooling? Where would they live? She couldn't live with him at the dorms. Where would she work, how could she work without having applied for a visa?

A small part of Ichigo's brain knew that what he was asking, no _begging_ , her for was a huge decision that should have been discussed long before this moment, but as usual he'd made a snap decision, figuring they'd work it out.

Caressing her cheek he said again, "Hime, please…" His begging her pulled at her heart. Ichigo Kurosaki didn't beg for anything, including mercy when there were many times he should have.

"Ichi…you know I want to right? But…there's just so much to consider. I…I really should go and we'll talk about this again. I was planning on going to university after finishing up in the community college so I'll try to find somewhere out here if I can. Please, don't be angry," she said quietly.

He sighed and leaned his head against hers. Kissing her forehead he said, "I'm not mad Hime, disappointed yes, but not mad." They kissed long and slow one last time before he allowed her to step into the check in line staying with her to help her with her bags despite her protests.

The world around him had become lost in white noise as he shuffled through the line with her. If anyone had told Ichigo he'd become this jumbled mass of emotions he'd never have believed them. It seemed love did some weird things to people, both wonderful and terrible, and he was still adjusting to it all.

When they'd reached the front of the line Ichigo turned his attention outside. He saw the snow still falling and thought of how much colder his room will feel without the woman beside him.

Orihime could tell Ichigo wasn't looking at her because he was trying to not show his emotions again. He'd put everything out there for her and she felt terrible that she'd hurt him with her decision. Looking ahead of her, despite her own turmoil, she noticed a young woman in distress at the ticket counter.

"Please," she heard her say, "I _have_ to get on that flight! I don't know how much longer he has!"

Orihime felt a tug of sympathy for the woman as she heard the ticket agent reply gently but firmly, "I'm sorry miss, but the flight is fully booked. There isn't even any room on the stand by list. Now, if you wish to purchase a ticket for tomorrow-" but the woman cut him off slightly louder, "Don't you understand?! Tomorrow could be too late! I need to get to Tokyo today!"

The altercation was garnering more attention, except from Ichigo who seemed lost in his own thoughts. Before she knew what she was doing Orihime had moved toward the woman and Ichigo thought she was just checking in so he stepped the side to wait to hug her one last time.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing and, I'm sure it's none of my business, but why are do you need to get to Tokyo so desperately?" she asked gently.

The woman turned her tear soaked eyes to the newcomer, "My father is dying. He went over for a specialized surgery and during the procedure they found cancer. No one had any clue. It caused complications and now he's on life support. I just found out today because my idiot brother just found his lost cell phone."

Orihime's heart went out to her. Looking at her ticket and then at Ichigo, who still had his back to her for the moment, she turned to the ticket counter.

"Can I transfer my ticket to her name?" she asked without further hesitation.

The ticket agent's eyebrows rose, "Are you sure miss?"

At her nodding the woman next to her flung her arms around her neck, "Thank you oh thank you, I can't believe this!"

The agent asked for IDs, had Orihime fill out the necessary paperwork and shredding her former ticket printed a new one with the woman's name on it: Maya Johnston.

"Have a safe flight, I hope you get there to find your dad is fine," Orihime said as the woman hugged her one last time. Waving good bye Orihime turned and walked back to Ichigo.

For all his abilities in battle his extrasensory perceptions were lacking in his day to day life.

"Ichi," she said and he turned to face her. His eyes were so sad it broke her heart all over again but she smiled as she stepped into his embrace.

"All set then?" he asked, his voice thick with emotions he was trying to stifle.

She nodded before pulling back to look up at his face, "Yes, take me home."

"Huh?" Ichigo was thoroughly confused.

"Or at least back to the dorm until we decide where home is," she giggled.

"Wha…what do you mean? You…you're staying?!" he said his voice rising in his excitement.

"Yes, it turns out there's a reason for everything," she answered.

Ichigo had no idea what she meant but at the moment he didn't care. He hugged her tightly, picking her up and spinning her around in his exuberant joy.

"We'll figure it all out Hime, I promise," he said into her ear as he held her.

"I know, we always do," she replied and kissed his cheek.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

 **Author's Thanks:**

 **pfcvillanueva, crista2311 and C.A.M.E.O1 and Only: Thank you, I'm glad you liked how the chapter concluded. I was going back and forth on how to end it and that just seemed like something Orihime would do especially if she already knew Ichigo did not want her to leave.**

 **Casey525: Sorry I made you cry but hopefully they turned to happy tears lol.**

 **insomniac1970: I'm so glad you've enjoyed it and you're welcome for writing it. As much as I enjoy stories where everyone is in character it is fun to take a turn and write them how we wish they could be, just to explore what could happen.**

Chapter 16 – Working Out the Details

Vincent was standing at the drop off area waiting for Ichigo. Seeing the orange haired couple walking towards him his eyebrows went up as he said, "Miss Inoue, did you miss your flight?"

She giggled as she looked at Ichigo who blushed slightly, "No, Vincent, I'm staying here with Ichigo."

"Well, well, this is a happy turn of events. By all means let's get you back to the college," he said happily as he took her bags to load into the car.

Orihime relayed her tale of the desperate woman. As she talked Ichigo grinned at her; she was so selfless and caring to everyone around her. He had a feeling that even if he hadn't been begging her to stay she would have done the same thing and just dealt with finding a new flight. He was exceedingly thankful she had not chosen that route.

Arriving back at the dorm Vincent and Ichigo hauled Orihime's luggage back up the stairs. Upon their entry they found a very surprised Connor and Caitlyn, eyes wide as they took in the fact that Orihime was still there.

They explained everything after Vincent had left.

Caitlyn threw her arms around Orihime, "Oh you precious, wonderful woman you! I can't believe how kind you are!"

Orihime, of course, blushed over the woman's gushing making the boys laugh.

"So what now? Are you going to live together?" Connor asked, "I mean, I don't mind if she stays here, but I doubt the college will like it. It's one thing for a one night or a week visit but to live here permanently might not work."

"We'll just have to find a place," Ichigo said not missing the worried look on Orihime's face.

"But Ichi, you paid for a full year of housing, wouldn't that just be a waste of money?"

"I don't care, Hime" he said drawing her close. Heedless of their audience he murmured in her ear, "The whole point of you staying here is to stay _with me_. I don't want to live apart from you, ok?"

She nodded, blushing slightly, but smiling at his directness.

Connor cleared his throat before suggesting, "Why don't you talk to the student housing department? See if there is something you can work out?"

They all decided that was a good idea and since classes would be starting up the following week they would have Orihime stay with the guys until they knew more.

"Oh! I need to call Tatsuki and let her know I'm not going to be on the plane," Orihime exclaimed grabbing her cell phone.

"Orihime, Happy New Year," she heard the karate fighter exclaim happily on the other end of the line.

"Happy New Year Tatsuki, how are you?"

"Very well, how are you and Ichigo doing?"

"We're great, in fact…um…I…I'm staying here with him," Orihime answered a little nervously. It wasn't that she was second guessing her decision; it was that she was sure her best friend would be more than likely shocked.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" exclaimed the raven haired fighter.

"Hehe, it happened quite suddenly and I know there are so many things to consider, but…I just couldn't leave him Tatsuki, not after it taking this long to get together."

"But Hime, what about school? What about your apartment? Your job? Your friends?!" Tatsuki was getting more worked up.

Orihime frowned and took a deep breath. She'd thought about this on their drive back from the airport.

"I'll see if I can get correspondence from my classes then transfer here to finish. As for my apartment, I can sublet or just give it up all together. I loved my job but they can easily find someone to replace me with classes starting back up and my friends will be there, won't you?"

She could hear Tatsuki sigh in exasperation but Orihime knew she'd presented good arguments to her. When she wanted to Orihime could be quite levelheaded and clever.

"You're right, Orihime, I'm sorry I overreacted, I just…I'm so happy you and Ichigo are together at last but I never thought you'd moved in together so soon and across the freaking world!"

Giggling Orihime smiled into the line, "I know Tatsuki, but this feels right."

"In that case I support your decision. As for your apartment…since it usually turns into a hotel for shinigamis you should really considered talking to Urahara about them taking over the payments or something. Really, the way these people mooch off of you…"

"Oh, how is Shuhei-kun? Is he still on assignment in Karakura?" Orihime asked.

"No, he finished up a last week and some guy named Madarame took over and just took Shuhei's place at your apartment. I thought it was weird but Ishida assured me you knew him."

"Oh yes, he's a funny one, but he can stay there, I mean, I'm not there so the place might as well be used," the healer said kindly.

"Good, well then, I have to get going to practice but it was good to hear from you. I'm really happy for you. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Ok Tatsuki, thank you!"

The week passed quickly and soon Ichigo was back into the throngs of classes. Orihime had called her former employer to explain she would not be returning for some time. He was disappointed but glad the young woman was out in the world and not stuck in the same town her whole life.

She and Ichigo had discussed what to do about her apartment and he agreed it would be nice to be able to keep it but only if she could sublet until they returned to Karakura.

"You had planned on returning there?" she'd asked surprised as they discussed it over dinner one night.

He shrugged taking a bite of her concoction of red bean paste pasta with broccoli and orange sauce (she'd found an international market that carried her beloved favorite ingredient). The meal was not bad; it wasn't good but it wasn't bad and Ichigo appreciated that she cooked for them.

Finishing his bite he replied, "Well, yeah, I mean…it's home."

She'd smiled at him, surprised at this showing, however slight, of sentimentality. "I'm glad, I really love it there."

So Orihime had talked to her landlord about the situation and he agreed that he would allow her to sublet if she could find an appropriate renter. Now her problem lay in finding someone who would not freak out at the prospect of shinigami staying at random intervals. Orihime had no way of knowing how often it would happen but she figured it would continue as long as the left over reiatsu from the winter war lingered.

Taking Tatsuki's advice Orihime reached out to Urahara. It could do no harm to ask the man first before she tried to find another option.

"Orihime-chan," his smooth voice cooed over the phone, "I hear congratulations are in order for you and Ichigo. He finally made a move, ne?"

Blushing slightly Orihime answered, "Hai, Urahara-san, we're very happy, thank you."

"What can I do for you?" he asked, knowing she had not called just to say hi.

Orihime went into her explanation of the situation with her apartment and he listened intently, only teasing her slightly about the fact that she would be living with her boyfriend so quickly.

"I think that's an excellent idea Orihime-chan, but as you know I stay at the shop to keep an eye on it. We have no need of an extra residence. Did you have someone in mind that could live there so it's not just empty between needs of invisible guests?"

She giggled but answered, "No, I'm not sure who could, that's why I wanted to talk to you first. And…we were hoping for some financial help if Soul Society wanted to take advantage of the situation. But if they don't then I can't keep it and pay for somewhere here."

The sound a chime sounded over the line and Urahara leaned his mouth away from the receiver to say, "Ah, Sado-kun, to what do we owe the pleasure? Oh, Orihime-chan says hi," he repeated when she'd told him to tell Chad hello for her and Ichigo.

"Mmm, I wanted to get some training in today, is Hanakari-chan here?" the big man rumbled.

"Sure, sure, oh, Orihime-chan," he said turning back to the phone, "What about Sado-kun? He of course knows all the same people as you."

Orihime thought about it, knowing it would be nice to have someone she trusted as much as Sado-kun to live in her home while she was gone but she wasn't sure how he'd feel about it.

"Can I talk to him?" she asked and Urahara passed the phone to Chad.

"Inoue-san, Happy New Year. I'm really happy for you and Ichigo," rumbled the big man.

Though she had been friends with him for a couple years now having Ichigo's best friend's approval of their relationship made her exceptionally happy.

"Thank you Sado-kun, that means a lot to me," she said and then proceeded to explain the situation all over again, asking if he would consider subletting her apartment.

"Sure Inoue-san, your apartment is closer to the areas I have to go to every day anyway. If it's alright with you, I don't have much in my apartment, so I'll sell the bigger pieces and use what you have except your futon. I'll put that in storage and use my own."

She appreciated his consideration and willingness to help, "Thank you Sado-kun, are you sure it's not too much trouble for you?"

"No, it's fine, I think it's a good idea too. I'll keep it safe for you while you and Ichigo are gone. When you're ready to come back just let me know and I'll find another place to live."

She thanked him again and rang off.

Her next call was to her college to see if there was any way she could complete her current courses through email. Unfortunately they did not have the means to offer such a thing to one student. If they offered to one, they'd have to offer to all and they simple couldn't do it.

Orihime was disappointed but since she'd only taken three classes and they were fairly simple she just decided she would start over. They said they would be able to refund some percentage of her money so she wouldn't be out all that she had paid for the whole semester. That seemed fair to her and so they said they would send her the necessary documents to get that processed.

By the time she'd finished all her phone calls she was tired and knew that it would be a couple more hours until Ichigo made it home. Sitting on the couch she popped in a movie but was soon curled up asleep.

Ichigo trudged through the snow having just exited his meeting with the housing department. They were willing to refund seventy five percent of his money because they had someone on the waiting list that would be ready to move in after two weeks. He hoped Orihime and he would be able to find a place before that deadline.

He didn't make a ton of money at his job but with the housing refund they would at least have a cushion to get them started.

Entering the dorm he spied his girlfriend's hair splayed over the arm of the couch.

Walking over he looked down at her peaceful face as she slept. It seemed a lifetime ago that she was struggling just to sleep through the night and now...it seemed like she was truly healed. He knew it would never all go away but he was exceedingly thankful to Urahara for getting her in contact with her counselor.

Deciding to leave her as she was he placed the throw over her and headed to his room to change. Sitting down at his computer he began looking up information on how to get a work visa for her. He printed out what she could fill out at home and got directions to the office she'd have to go to in order to file. If they were lucky it would be approved and she'd have it within two weeks.

He started searching for apartments in the area as well, finding they were a little steeper in price than he was hoping and he wondered briefly if they could really make this work.

He knew he did not have time to work and go to school full time and he did not want Orihime shouldering the bulk of the rent. Running his hands through his hair he let out a deep sigh.

" _This is going to be a little harder than I thought,"_ he mused to himself.

When his stomach rumbled Ichigo remembered he hadn't had anything to eat since a hasty lunch at the cafeteria at 12:00. It was now 6:30 and he was definitely ready for dinner.

Moving back through the hall and passing the couch he saw Orihime was still passed out. Chuckling he continued on his way to the kitchen looking at what options they had for a quick meal. Not finding much he decided to order pizza.

Going back down the hall he knocked at Connor's door.

"Come in," he heard and opened the door.

"Yo, Connor, I'm going to order pizza, you want in on it?" he asked hand still on the door knob.

"Yeah man, that sounds great, I've been buried in here working on my thesis paper and totally forgot to eat. Order from that one Italian place that has the two pizza meal deal. Comes with breadsticks, salad, and drinks too."

"Cool, pepperoni?"

"You know it," he said and smiled.

Ichigo went to the phone and placed the order, opting for delivery because he simply did not want to go back out into the foul weather.

He went back to his room to continue looking at apartment options. Thirty minutes later there was a knock at the door. Rushing down the hall he tried to get there before the knocking woke Orihime but he was too late. He exited the hall to find her standing in the doorway with the delivery guy blatantly staring at her ample bosom. Scowling Ichigo stepped forward, "It's ok, Hime, I got it," he said gruffly and she stepped back from the door to make room for him.

Seeing the tall, aggressive looking man approaching him the boy paled slightly and with shaking hands passed the food over to Ichigo. He was so nervous he barely remembered his need to get money from him. Ichigo handed over the money, tipping light because of his gall to stare at _his_ girlfriend like that, and shut the door rather firmly.

"Ichi, are you ok?" Orihime asked through a yawn, stretching her arms up.

Ichigo didn't reply, simply put the food on the counter before turning to sweep her up in his arms. She squeaked at the sudden impact but relaxed almost immediately as he kissed her long and hard and deep.

Upon release she blinked up at him as he breathed, "Now that's a welcome home."

She smiled and kissed him lightly.

"What smells so good?" she asked turning his arms.

"Dinner, come on, let's get plates and cups out. Connor! Dinner's here!" Ichigo shouted.

Connor came out of his room, handed Ichigo some money and filled his plate before sitting down at the counter.

Ichigo and Orihime got their food, sitting down at the couch to eat while the three of them discussed the various results of their days.

Ichigo frowned when Orihime told him about her classes but she assured him she didn't mind.

"It's ok Ichigo, I just get to learn some things extra well," she said. That was another quality about her that he loved: her optimism.

After they'd finished their meal Ichigo took her back to their room and showed her what she needed to fill out for the work visa. She completed it quickly before placing it in an envelope so she didn't lose anything.

"I'll take the bus over there tomorrow," she said but Ichigo shook his head.

"Call Vincent, the public transportation here is a little confusing and I'd feel more comfortable knowing you were with someone who knows the city."

"Ichi, we can't keep calling the man, at least not unless we pay him," she argued.

"Tch, look, he told me my old man set everything up and until he says otherwise I'm making sure you're safe. He's trustworthy."

Not completely convinced Orihime nevertheless went along with his demand.

"Now, I've been looking up some apartments in the area and I wanted to run them by you but really we can't make a decision until we know about the work situation," Ichigo said, "However, I still want to show you some options."

She moved over to stand next to where he sat on his desk chair only to have him pull her onto his lap. Even though they'd been together in the most intimate ways possible Orihime still found his everyday signs of affection surprising.

Keeping one hand on her waist and lazily tracing his thumb up and down he used the other to move the cursor of his laptop, showing her all the options he'd saved.

Orihime was impressed by each of them for different reasons but bit her lip slightly.

Ichigo frowned and reaching up to her chin turned her face to his kissing her before he murmured, "Stop biting your lip." She grinned coyly and blatantly bit it again causing Ichigo to growl before pushing her onto the chaise, covering her with his body.

Their tongues danced together briefly before they moved back to a slow, sensual caressing of each other's lips.

Leaning back up, eyes hazed with lust and desire Ichigo rasped out, "Hime, behave yourself."

She giggled but didn't provoke him again. As much as she wanted him she wasn't quite comfortable doing certain… _acts_ with Connor down the hall.

"Now then, why were you biting your lip?"

She almost did it again out of habit but stopped herself by saying, "Ichi, the apartments look fine but can we really afford them?"

Her brow was furrowed with worry so he kissed her again to get her to relax.

"We'll get it figured out, Hime, try not to worry about it," Ichigo whispered against her lips before kissing her again.

" _Gosh, I love his kisses,"_ she thought enjoying the sensations he was causing.

They kept kissing for a while until both of them knew they should stop so they wouldn't go any further. Getting up off of her Ichigo held out his hand and pulled her up.

"Come on, let's get ready for bed, we both have busy days tomorrow."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note and Thanks: So sorry it's been a while since I updated, I've been busy, tired and suffering from both an abundance of new ideas for other stories and some writer's block for this one, go figure.**

 **Sumtyms: Thanks for the encouragement; I'm glad you're enjoying it. Because I want to keep the rating "T" I'm keeping the steam to a minimum in the main story, however in case you missed it, I have another story titled "New Year's Eve in NYC" that is rated M and is directly related to this story about Ichigo and Orihime's first time together. ;)**

 **Shadow61953: Thank you, yes I heard about the manga, nice that my favorite pairing is canon. It's funny, I tend to imagine or write Orihime with any number of different partners but when it comes to Ichigo I have him only have eyes for her. At least, thus far, we'll see about future writings.**

 **pfcvillanueva: I was just thinking it was time to add a little more action though I hadn't had definite inspiration yet. It's been fun writing all the fluff but I agree it's time for something more to happen. We'll see what I come up with.**

 **Sasha88: Glad you enjoyed the fluff. Not that I enjoy making people sad but I'm happy when I'm successful at conveying and stirring the emotions I want to when writing certain scenes.**

 **Crista2311: Thank you, I'm trying to make sure everything isn't always perfect so that it feels a little more realistic.**

 **Sele de la Luna: Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the cuteness.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Chapter 17: Even Roses have Thorns

The next morning Orihime was waiting for Vincent to go to the embassy to submit paperwork for a work visa. He arrived and since he was also formally from a foreign country was able to offer her advice.

"Ms. Inoue, I'm not sure if you know but typically an employer has to submit a petition for a non-immigrant work permit before you can apply," he advised.

"Oh really? Seems I was trying to do this backwards. Um…I don't suppose you know of anyone who is hiring?"

Vincent thought for a moment but couldn't think of anyone.

" _What are we going to do? The deadline for us to move out is going to come fast and I don't have a job yet,"_ she thought, once again second guessing her decision to stay with Ichigo. But it was too late now, she had already given up her ticket and buying a new one was very expensive. Maybe not as expensive as renting an apartment in the city but Ichigo had already committed to moving out of the dorm and received the refund so they were stuck.

"Cheer up Ms. Inoue, how about instead of going to the embassy I drive you around town and we'll look for places you can apply to. Do you have any copies of your resume?" Vincent suggested.

"Hai, I'll print some copies," she answered, rushing down the hall to the computer. In a few minutes she returned with ten copies of her resume.

"I think that's good enough to start with right?" she asked the man before her and he nodded.

"Great, let's head out then," he replied heading down the stairs, Orihime following in his wake.

They drove around town, dropping off resumes at a pet shop, a coffee shop, two bakeries and a daycare center. Before long it was noon and both were hungry.

"We're in the neighborhood where Robert and Cheryl's restaurant is, why don't we go there?" Vincent asked.

Orihime nodded and they parked in front of the place. It was packed with customers, so much so they could barely get in the door. It turned out the neighborhood watch meeting about helping the orphanage had gone really well and everyone had told their friends about the restaurant.

"Wow, this place is stuffed to the gills," Vincent exclaimed.

Spying Cheryl at the front counter Orihime noticed the woman looked a bit frazzled.

"Hi Cheryl," she said as she approached and the woman's eyes widened at the sight of the healer.

"Orihime! I thought you'd left doll," she said, stopping long enough to hug the red head.

"Yeah, well, it's kind of a long story. Um…do you need some help?" Orihime asked looking around at the crowd.

"Do you have experience with waiting tables?" the woman asked.

Orihime shrugged, "Enough to get by and be an extra set of hands, or if you have someone more experienced in the back I can do dishes or something."

Robert had come out carrying two trays of food and after depositing them to their recipients he headed towards where they stood. "Orihime, so glad to see you're still here!"

"Robert, Orihime has offered to help us," Cheryl informed her husband. The man looked at her for a moment and then smiled, "Give them both a quick sandwich and then, sure, if you're serious about it we'd love your help."

Orihime nodded vigorously, heading to the counter where she and Vincent sat to eat a hasty lunch. When they'd finished Vincent laid some money on the counter and smiled at her.

"I have to go Ms. Inoue, but please call me when you're ready to go home and I'll come get you," he said before taking his leave.

Orihime went to the back and put on an apron, grabbing a pen and pad before heading back out to the dining area. Cheryl quickly showed her their table numbering system and sent her off to take orders while she headed to the back again to help the cook.

Surprisingly, she took to order taking like a natural. Her carefree and happy spirit soothed hungry irritated city dwellers and she was able to take orders quickly and efficiently. Before long she felt like she'd been doing this for years. Cheryl marveled at her ability to quickly adapt and thanked her again and again for helping.

She sat people, helped bus the tables when she had a moment and even carried out food once or twice. As the lunch rush ended she sat down with her employers for a brief break.

"Orihime, I wish you lived here, I would hire you in an instant!" Robert proclaimed.

"Well, about that…" she began and told them of everything that had happened. The couple were overjoyed to hear their favorite boy's girlfriend was sticking around and really meant it when they said they would hire her on the spot. Robert discussed hours and pay with her before calling Vincent to see how he could set about filling out the necessary paperwork for her work visa application.

By the time the dinner crowd came in Orihime was basically a full-fledged employee, beaming from ear to ear at her good fortune to be working with such wonderful and familiar people.

Ichigo had been in classes all day but found it difficult to concentrate because of his and Orihime's living situation. They had enough money to at least get into a place, provided they passed the necessary credit and background checks, but as for maintaining rent after a couple months, remained to be seen.

" **King, what's with the rain in here? I thought you were past that since the queeny came to live here?!"** he heard his hollow bellow in his head. Ichigo frowned, a growl escaping his throat as he walked towards his dorm.

" _Shut up you big baby,"_ he countered.

" **I'm the baby?! You're the one moping around about a place to live! Sheesh, of all the things to be focused on when that hot body is just waiting for you..."** but he got no further when Ichigo cut him off.

" _I said SHUT UP!"_

Surprisingly he did and just as Ichigo was beginning to wonder why he heard the roar of a hollow in the vicinity. Reaching into his pocket he panicked when he realized he couldn't find his combat pass! He slapped all his pockets looking for it but it was no good. He'd actually forgotten to take it with him!

Then again, Jasmine Evertone was still looking over the city so he was sure she'd take care of it. Just as he'd finished this thought he heard a commotion around the corner and despite his inability to help in his human body he ran towards it.

As he rounded the corner he saw the same said shinigami struggling against a huge hollow, at least a class four, with no sign of backup. The hollow had her pinned against the ground and was crushing her. She screamed out in pain and Ichigo ran forward, not thinking, not planning just trying to help because he couldn't stand by while someone was hurt.

Just as he was about to reach her he heard, "Koten Zanshun!" Looking to the other side of the street he saw his girlfriend standing in battle stance, Tsubaki flying towards the black flesh of the hollow's arm.

He impacted and caused enough damage to make the creature relinquish his hold of the shinigami. Ichigo reached her a moment later and picked her up. He didn't have time to consider any internal injuries; he needed to get her out of there quickly.

The hollow had turned its attention from the pair running away from him to the woman who'd dealt the unexpected blow. Moving with surprising swiftness for his size he bore down upon Orihime. She'd barely had time to put her shield before he slammed against it.

" _ **You're a much better meal,"**_ he hissed at her. Though her legs were shaking slightly, both from fear and the effort it was taking to hold her shield up, Orihime remained steadfast in her resolve. Ichigo couldn't attack without his badge; it was up to her to disband this hollow.

"Tsubaki," she murmured and out flew the hot tempered sprite again, knocking forcefully into the hollow's mask but not hard enough to break it.

" _ **Ha ha!"**_ laughed the hollow, _**"You really think a little bug like him is going to defeat me?!"**_

Tsubaki shook with rage as he entered back into his mistresses' hairpin. " _Damn it woman, where is your head?! Focus!"_ Orihime winced but knew he was right.

"Orihime!" Looking to the side she saw Ichigo still holding the shinigami who was injured in his arms. She felt a pang of fleeting jealously rip through her and shortly after a wave of guilt. Of course he'd still be holding her, she couldn't move on her own. As far as she knew the woman could be near death and here she was seeing green because her boyfriend was protecting her!

" _Really Orihime, you'd think after all this time you'd have your priorities in order,"_ she chastised herself.

"Orihime, get the hell out of there!" she heard him yell. Frowning she returned to the task at hand. It didn't help that she already doubted her own ability to finish this but Ichigo adding to that doubt was only going to make things worse. She knew he hated when she fought but it couldn't be helped sometimes! She wished he would believe in her the same way he did the other women in their lives.

Again she felt jealously swell up, her pride hurt. Even after all her therapy with Kiyonna she struggled with her self esteem, not knowing how to defend herself, especially from someone she loved.

" _Stop wasting time worrying over that crap right now and FOCUS!"_ she heard Tsubaki scream and she flinched at his harsh tone.

" _You're right, let's finish this,"_ she responded mentally. Gathering her anger and frustration and shoving aside her doubts she called out her attack to give it the weight of her resolve, "KOTEN ZANSHUN, I REJECT!"

This time her attack spirit knew he'd finish the job; his mistress was finally where she needed to be mentally and emotionally for him to make an effective attack. With a scream of fury he rocketed out of his position in her hairpin and sliced cleanly through the mask.

A pain filled ferocious roar catapulted out of the hollow as he disintegrated into nothingness. Orihime's shield fell a moment before she collapsed to her knees, exhausted from the strain the fight had put on her. Off handedly she realized she really needed to train to up her endurance level.

Her thoughts were broken the next moment as Ichigo knelt before her, his hands on her shoulders. Her head slowly raised grey eyes meeting brown. He was not happy.

"What the hell were you doing Orihime? You could have been killed!"

Now it was her turn to be angry. She pulled away from him roughly, not saying a word as she stood and walked to where he'd laid down the injured woman. Silently she called forth her healing spirits and healed the wounds and broken bones. Jasmine's eyes flickered open, confusion filling them quickly.

"You're ok now," Orihime said softly answering the woman's unspoken question. Ichigo was now standing beside Orihime but wasn't touching her. He could feel anger rolling off of her in tumultuous waves. The last time he'd felt anything close to this was when he'd confronted Shuhei about staying at her apartment and even then it had been mild irritation.

Once Jasmine was fully healed the dome dropped and Orihime started walking away. Ichigo reached out, grabbing her shoulder but she wrenched away again, turning eyes upon him filled with hurt and anger. He stood dumbfounded at her, not sure what to do.

Without a word she turned away from him and continued walking, no particular destination in mind but just needing to get away from him. Somewhere in her mind she knew she was being harsh, maybe even slightly irrational. But she was so hurt and angry that he had that little faith in her.

" _Has he already forgotten the help I gave to him and Shuhei-kun all those months ago in Karakura? He'd been glad to see me then! Ugh, he's so frustrating sometimes!"_

She kept walking, arms wrapping around herself as a cold wind whipped through her. She'd neglected to grab her jacket when she'd run out of the restaurant after feeling the hollow's presence. No doubt Robert and Cheryl would have questions for her and she couldn't bring herself to face them right now.

Left behind Ichigo stood stunned to immobility as he watched his girlfriend stalk away from him, her anger still slamming into him.

"Wow, so that's her." The voice next to him jarred him out of his staring and he clipped his eyes to Jasmine who now stood next to him.

"Yeah," he said gruffly, shooting his eyes back to the red head marching away from them.

"I can see why you fell for her, but if I could offer some advice?" the blonde inquired as she turned to face him.

He didn't bother to reply, too focused on keeping his eyes on the healer to make sure he knew which direction she was going. That ended when he felt a distinct impact to the back of his head.

Whipping his gaze to meet that of the woman who'd just walloped him on the back of the head he growled out, "What the hell was that for?!"

She huffed, irritation rampant in her eyes and her voice, "Baka! She just saved both our asses and you treated her like a…like a…" she was fuming with indignation for the woman to whom she owed her life, "Like a freaking princess!" she ended with a yell.

Ichigo just stared at her, eyes blazing, before he realized what he'd done. And he realized he'd broken his promise, again, to spare her from pain, particularly from him.

He was about to follow her when Jasmine grabbed his sleeve, "Go home, baka! I'll keep an eye on her. Yeah, I know, I got my ass handed to me by that hollow, but trust me, that's NOT going to happen again. Give her some space she obviously doesn't want to see you right now."

Ichigo hesitated to trust her. By her own admission she'd needed help with one hollow but before he could protest she'd shunpo'd away. Without his combat pass he couldn't follow. After another pause of indecision he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned back to head towards the college but kept his senses open and trained on Orihime's reiatsu. She could keep him away from her physically, but spiritually he was going to keep tabs on her, whether she wanted it or not.

 **Author's Note: I know it's a little short and I hate to end this on a sad note but I want this story to maintain some semblance of reality. Relationships, especially new ones, can have rocky moments and given the type of life these two lead it would not be surprising for them to continue to fight over…well fighting. Hope this was enjoyed to spice things up a bit! Till next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

 **Author's Notes: Thank you lmb111514, monsuno power, Sasha88, crista2311 and Casey525 for your reviews! Glad this story is being enjoyed by so many.**

Chapter 18: Fighting Back and Healing Hearts

Orihime didn't know how long it had been since she'd walked away from Ichigo but she was surprised he'd not pursued her. Granted, she actually didn't want him to but he was notoriously stubborn and, as she'd recently been reminded, fairly arrogant. She opened her senses, feeling his reiatsu moving in the direction of the college while also picking up an unknown pressure following her. Tuning into it she realized it was the female shinigami she'd just healed.

Stopping her steps Orihime sat heavily on a park bench, still shivering from the cold but too tired to continue walking. She hung her head fighting back tears. She hated that she still cried so much but it seemed it couldn't be helped. A moment passed, her surroundings fairly silent save for the distance humming of traffic on the highways and her sniffling, before she felt the presence of the same shinigami who'd been in pursuit sit down next to her.

"Men are idiots sometimes, you know that right?" she asked without ceremony causing Orihime to snicker.

"Yeah, I've been told that a time or two, particularly about my man," she answered opening her eyes to look at the sky, her breath coming out in puffs of steam. Jasmine chuckled softly at her response but said no more for the moment. The two women sat in companionable silence watching the stars and moon shining in the cold inkiness above them.

"He sent you to watch out for me didn't he?"

Jasmine shook her head, "No, I could see he was about to follow you so I offered to just to keep him away. I may not know him well or you at all but this isn't the first fight I've seen between lovers."

Orihime turned her face to the woman beside her then, meeting her eyes as Jasmine did the same.

"Thank you," she replied simply and the blonde smiled softly. Their attention returned to the sky for a few minutes longer before Orihime shivered again.

"Ready to go back?" The question was asked gently, slight concern for her wellbeing laced in it.

The healer nodded, "I need to go back and apologize to Robert and Cheryl. I left my coat at the restaurant too." They stood and walked slowly back in the direction Orihime had originally come from. Reaching the building of her work she stopped around the corner in its shadow.

Jasmine was surprised to find herself encased in a warm hug as Orihime said quietly over her shoulder, "Thank you for allowing him to rest. You're good at your job if he wasn't constantly butting in." This made the shinigami laugh as they pulled apart. Before she left Orihime thanked her for coming after her then walked around the corner to the entrance of the restaurant.

Cheryl had gone home but Robert was still there closing out the till. When he saw the red head he shot out from around the counter and grasped her shoulders.

"Orihime, geez, you about gave us a heart attack! Are you ok? With the way you rushed out of here I thought someone had died or something!"

She felt bad for having worried them but it couldn't be helped. If she hadn't left Jasmine and possibly Ichigo would have been killed by that hollow. She took a deep breath, holding Robert's eyes, "I'm sorry for worrying you. I…I just had something I had to take care of and in my haste forgot my coat. I hope Cheryl isn't too upset with me or you either."

He shook his head, "We're not upset, we were and are concerned but if it's something you can't or don't want to talk about that's fine. We're just glad you're ok. You're ok aren't you?" he ended noting her sad eyes and the coldness of her flesh.

Nodding lightly she offered a faint smile, "Yes, I'm fine…well, I will be. I just wanted to make sure I came back to let you know nothing was seriously wrong and grab my coat. Did you want me for the lunch and dinner rush again?"

"Yes, we're ok in the morning. Go home and get some rest and I hope whatever is going on works out ok. We're here to talk if you need it."

"Thank you, have a goodnight Robert, I'll see you tomorrow."

Orihime knew she wasn't necessarily as mad at Ichigo as she had been a mere hour ago but she was still upset. Part of her felt she should apologize but another part screamed she'd done nothing wrong! With the temperature continuing to drop and his mood more than likely darkening further the longer she stayed out she decided to head home and face him.

Initially his protective concern had been endearing, the same way it had been when they were just friends back in Karakura. But now that they were in a relationship, a _partnership_ , she found herself longing to be treated as more of an equal. It wasn't that she wanted to fight all the time like he did but she wanted him to believe in her as much as she believed in him.

Slowly she climbed up the dormitory staircase to the floor of their room and walked down the hall. Pausing before the door she took a deep breath then opened it. Ichigo was sitting on the couch, the wall mounted fire place the only light in the room. They'd taken down all the Christmas decorations a couple days prior. Turning at the sound of the door it became difficult to see his eyes in the shadows but she _felt_ his gaze upon her.

Shrugging out of her coat she placed it and her scarf on one of the pegs by the door. Turning around she saw he had not moved from his spot and she couldn't tell if he was angry at her or giving her space to decide if she wanted to come near him. Orihime wasn't quite sure what she wanted herself. She was tired from a long day at her new job, the new job she'd not even had an opportunity to tell Ichigo about because of two stupid fights.

Sighing she made her way to the kitchen to brew some tea in the hopes of flushing out the cold she felt in her body. The silence wore on, tension thick in the room as neither of them made the first move to be near each other or speak. The sound of the tea kettle squealing made her jump and she turned back to pour a cup for both of them. They may not have spoken yet but there was no need to be out right rude to him.

Making her way to the living room area Orihime kept her eyes on the tea cups in efforts to not spill the scalding liquid on her skin. Reaching her destination with no mishaps she set them down on the coffee table, still not having looked at Ichigo's face. Lifting her tea cup to her lips she blew on the hot liquid a few times before taking a tentative sip. Warmth permeated throughout her body and she inhaled deeply, the scent of honey and lemon momentarily overwhelming her senses.

Putting down the cup she finally looked up to her boyfriend's face and her heart stopped. The hollow was back in full force. Black eyes with yellow irises stared at her as Ichigo's body sat nonchalantly against the back of the couch.

" **Hello again Queen** ," he rasped out, his voice a watery rippled affair. Tensing she remained frozen to her place on the couch, unsure what to do. She remembered from their time in New York not too many days prior that Ichigo had said if the hollow got out he wouldn't hurt her but now she wasn't so sure. Was Ichigo so angry with what had happened he let his hollow out? No, he wouldn't have done this on purpose.

" **Surprised to see me? You shouldn't be. You know the King has gotten weak right? Ever since he came here his guard has been down more and after tonight's little…escapade it was easy to slip out** ," he gloated.

Orihime felt she needed to get out of there. Before he'd masked his reiastu so she hadn't bolted out the door the second she felt it. Now it was tumbling out of him, rolling over her like an ocean riptide making it hard to breathe. At this rate they'd have Jasmine, numerous hollows or both tearing down the walls to get to him.

"Ichi-" she began as she stood up and walked backwards away from him but he cut her off as he leapt to her location pushing her up against the wall by the sliding glass door, " **The King's not available right now, Queen, it's me you have to deal with**."

His grip was tight against her shoulders making it hard to turn her head. She didn't want to stare into those eyes, the eyes of who should be an enemy but wasn't because they were part of her love.

" **Do you have any idea…what we went through for you in Hueco Mundo? What it was like when you were gone?** " he asked seriously, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. Orihime wasn't sure about the point of the question nor did she know _exactly_ what had happened when Ichigo had technically died but she nodded her head. She knew he'd gone through hell for her.

" **So, if you know that, then why the hell would you ever think it ok for you to put yourself in that kind of danger?** " He was yelling now, his reiatsu flaring in his anger, the grip on her shoulders tightened so much she winced with the pain.

It was probably stupid, no it was stupid, but she'd had enough. She'd had enough of Ichigo, his hollow, her friends, _everyone_ not believing in her and thinking her the weakest link. Whether they thought those exact words or not she didn't know but the impression was there regardless. She steeled herself and found her courage.

Tilting her chin up she surprised him with a head butt (she did have an unusually hard head) causing him to release her, mostly in shock that she would strike the King _at all_ , much less effectively.

Surprising them both she let fly all her pent up anger and frustration in a verbal tirade, knowing Ichigo could hear her, "Do you know what it's like for me _every time_ you fight so recklessly? Do you know what it was like coming around that corner and seeing you run at a hollow without your sword?!" She advanced pushing her finger on the hollow's chest. It would have been amusing were it not such a charged emotional scene.

Orihime didn't slow down her speech, "And then after I'd defeated it, all by myself, saving you and Jasmine, you still berated me for my actions! Do you really have so little faith in me? Have I not proved myself over and over again to you that I'm worthy to not just stand behind you but _beside_ you against whatever comes? I know you don't like me to fight but this isn't just about you! I can make decisions for myself, Ichigo Kurosaki, and I don't always need you to protect me from every single thing!"

Fury flashed through his eyes and he grabbed her again but before he could do anything further she called out Tsubaki. The fiery spirit slashed at the hollow, not using his full strength but enough to cause damage, in his efforts to get him to release Orihime.

Ichigo's hollow howled in frustration at the impacts, letting go of her shoulders and reaching to grab the tiny fighter. Orihime called forth her shield sphere, a new technique she'd learned from Hachi, encasing the hollow and allowing Tsubaki to make it back to his place in her hairpin.

Ichigo's hollow stared at the woman before him roaring out, " **What the hell? You actually attacked the King?! You attacked me?! I could have killed you woman!** "

Orihime felt hot, angry tears streaming down her face as she replied, "He said you'd never hurt me, guess we both did things we never thought we'd do."

She saw the hollow's eyes flicker with…remorse? His shoulders lost their tension and hands unclenched from the fists he'd formed. He knew she was right; he'd gripped her tight enough that she'd bruise. Even though she could reverse the marks he'd nonetheless inflicted them upon her.

A heartbeat later he collapsed and she dropped the shield to go to him, her fingers checking his pulse. Ichigo inhaled sharply and opened his eyes, brown meeting grey for the first time since she'd returned to the dorm room.

Ichigo sat up in a panic, wrapping his arms around her making her wince but she didn't pull away.

"Hime, I'm so sorry, I…I couldn't keep him in," he gasped out and she suspected he was near tears himself but held them in. She was crying enough for both of them any way, overwhelmed with all that had happened. She never, in her entire life, believed that she would attack Ichigo but because she'd vowed to be strong she'd done what she had to do.

He sat back, grasping her head as his fingers threaded through her hair and kissed her forehead before leaning his against it and whispering hotly, "I know it's not all about what I want Hime, and I'm sorry if I ever made you believe that I thought you weak. I'm the weak one, I can't stand to see you fight because every time you do I feel I've failed you and it kills me. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm so, so sorry." He kissed her head again before wrapping his arms back around her waist. Standing slightly he lifted them both to the couch and sat down, curling her into his lap.

They stayed like that for a long while, neither speaking in the quiet of the room, their breathing and rapid heartbeats the only things either could hear.

Finally Orihime pulled her head up from where it was nestled in the crook of Ichigo's neck to look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I attacked you," she whispered, her voice thick with tears.

"No, don't you dare apologize, this was my fault, I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry _he_ hurt you! I'm going to kill that bastard you can be sure of that," he answered roughly before kissing her lips firmly.

"No Ichi…I…I forgive you…both of you," she said slowly when they'd opened their eyes.

"What? Hime, how can you say that? You heard him! He was close to killing you!"

"He was scared," she countered running her hand through his orange locks, "You were both scared and I don't think it's an emotion either of you is accustomed to. Just…have a little more faith in me…please?"

"I will, I do, I know…I know you can do so much more than even you think you can."

She nodded and kissed him again before murmuring against his lips, "Just next time don't forget your combat pass, ne?"

Ichigo let out a bark of laughter and tightened his hold on her before kissing her more soundly. When he'd released her lips she called out her fairies to take care of their injuries so they wouldn't have to come up with excuses for their friends if they were to see their bruises and cuts.

When they'd been fully healed she slowly pushed his shoulders so he sat against the back of the couch before rotating so she straddled his waist and hips. His eyes glazed over with lust as she threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed him, her tongue delving deeply into his mouth causing him to moan.

Grasping her hips tightly he let her lead the kiss, grateful to have her back in his arms, thankful she was alive and had forgiven him for everything that had happened from the beginning of their stupid fight to its more serious end.

Breaking away from his lips she peppered kisses down his neck breathing out against his skin, "Where's Connor?"

Ichigo swallowed thickly before rasping out, "With Caitlyn at her place. I...I doubt...he'll be back until tomorrow." His reply was spoken shakily, his desire for her growing at a rapid pace the longer she tortured his skin.

"Mmmmm, that's very good news indeed," she purred out against his ear before grabbing the lobe in her teeth, "I've always heard make up sex is the best kind."

That was the last straw for Ichigo. He grabbed her ass and stood up from the couch causing her to squeak in surprise and wrap her legs around his waist more securely. He marched to their bedroom and slammed the door before pressing her up against it. Pulling back enough to give himself room he ripped open her shirt, buttons scattering around the room. Leaning forward again his ravished her neck and chest with his tongue and teeth making her gasp and moan in response.

"Let's test that theory shall we Hime," he growled out as his continued his assault.

"Ichi, I need you, please…" she replied breathily. Foregoing further foreplay he wasted no more time and turned them to the bed where he proceeded to make up for everything…over and over again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

 **Author's Note: Sheesh, I can't believe it's been over a month since I updated this fic! I tried to make sure to PM everyone who reviewed to give my thanks but if I missed you I'm sorry. I truly appreciate your reviews, they keep me going! I've been having so much fun writing Suddenly There Was You that this kind of hit the back burner. Time to shift gears back to IchiHime fluff! Thanks for hanging in there!**

Chapter 19: Home is Where You Are

Ichigo rolled over the next morning snuggling close to Orihime. They'd definitely made good use of the box of condoms so generously provided by Isshin and it made him grin. Yawning the healer slowly woke up, her body worn out but her heart happy. Turning to face Ichigo she smiled, "Good morning Ichi." Kissing her lightly he returned the greeting.

"Oh! With everything happening yesterday I forgot to tell you the good news!" she exclaimed. "I got a job working for Robert and Cheryl at the restaurant! My shift will be during the lunch and dinner rush."

"That's great Hime, I'm so proud of you," Ichigo replied softly kissing her again. He just couldn't get enough of her lips.

He'd already been back to working his part time job for a couple weeks following the end of the Christmas holiday. Now they would have a better idea of what they could afford to rent which was good since their timeline was coming to a close rapidly.

"Do you have classes today?" he heard his girlfriend ask. Ichigo shook his head. "No, it's my free day. I don't even have work so if we want we can look over the apartment options again before you have to go to the restaurant." Orihime was about to answer when she heard her cell phone ring. Climbing over Ichigo she threw her robe on before answering it.

"Good morning Orihime," she heard Cheryl's voice say.

"Oh good morning Cheryl, what's going on?"

"Well first, I wanted to make sure you were ok. You looked rather stressed yesterday," asked the kind hearted woman. Orihime smiled, stressed didn't even _begin_ to describe the end of her previous day but she responded, "I'm fine, just a little emergency but it's all ok now. What can I do for you? Did you need me to come in earlier?"

"Actually, no, we had our own emergency crop up today so unfortunately we'll have to shut the restaurant for a couple days. I'm sorry to do that on only your second day but it just can't be helped. But, we'll pay you at least your hourly wage for the days missed."

"Oh you don't have to do that! Is there anything we can do to help?" she asked concerned.

"Thank you but no, it's just a family issue that we have to drive out of town for a day or two. As for paying you, yes we do because it's not your fault we're not here for you to work. We're just so happy to have you and don't want you to bolt because of bad timing! No more arguments! We'll have a check ready for you when we return at the end of the week if that's ok?"

Orihime knew it was useless to protest further so she simply agreed.

"Good girl, enjoy your time off and we should see you on Thursday but I'll call you Wednesday night to confirm, ok?"

"Ok Cheryl, take care, I'll see you guys in a couple days and hope everything works out ok."

"Thank you dear, talk to you later," she ended before hanging up. Orihime turned and explained the situation to Ichigo.

"I'm not glad they have an emergency to deal with but the timing couldn't be better, now we have the whole day to apartment hunt. They told you what they'd pay hourly and the average hours per week right?"

"Yes, they can give me $11.50 an hour plus whatever tips I earn and I'll be working anywhere from 25-30 hours a week."

"Wow, that's great! Ok, let's go over the places I saved and we'll see what we can get."

Ichigo got up from bed pulling on sweat pants and a long sleeve t-shirt while Orihime gather an outfit and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. By the time she'd returned dressed for the day Ichigo had their route mapped out to go visiting apartments. While he took his turn in the shower Orihime cooked a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. Having eaten they called Vincent again. How they always got him when he wasn't busy with other clients was uncanny but Ichigo wasn't about to complain about it.

"Sounds like a fun excursion," he commented, "I'll be there in twenty minutes." Punctual as ever Vincent arrived at his specified time and the three of them set off. It took a couple hours but eventually they'd visited four locations that were within their budget.

"So now that you've seen what's available are there any that stick out as a favorite?" asked Vincent when they'd settled to have some lunch. Ichigo scratched his head contemplating each and going over their notes.

"Well, I know for sure I don't like the last one," he muttered, "It was basically one long rectangle." Seeing Orihime nod her head in agreement he crossed it off the list.

"I liked the third option because of the balcony and larger bedroom but it's at the very max of our budget so I don't think it's a good option unfortunately," Orihime commented and Ichigo agreed with her.

"So it's between the studio nearer to the college or the one bedroom closer to the restaurant," Ichigo murmured. "Huh, the one bedroom is actually less expensive than the studio, I wonder why." Vincent looked over the locations and explained the difference most likely came from the neighborhoods.

"That works better for us anyway because I want Hime closer to her job since she'll be working afternoons into the evening," Ichigo concluded. Picking up his cell phone he called the management office and requested a meeting to look over lease options. He'd caught them in time to meet up that afternoon at 3:00.

Heading back to the apartments they walked the property again and were shown the actual unit they'd get should they sign the rental agreement after passing the background and credit check. It was on the ground floor and had all new appliances.

Turning to his girlfriend the shinigami asked, "Well Hime? What do you think? Should we go for this one?" She nodded enthusiastically so Ichigo asked the manager what they needed to do next. Upon arrival to the leasing office the couple filled out the necessary paperwork. They'd most likely have an answer the following afternoon.

Heading back to the dormitory both were relieved to potentially being headed in the direction of finding their next dwelling. Though they would miss Connor they were looking forward to building their first home together.

The next day came slowly but finally arrived. Ichigo had to go to classes then work so Orihime stayed home watching movies to try to take her mind off the waiting which was only somewhat successful.

While he was walking to his job Ichigo's cell phone rang. Grabbing it quickly he answered, "Hello, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Good afternoon Mr. Kurosaki, this is Wendy from Parker Hill."

"Hi Wendy, how are you?" he asked politely though what he wanted to ask was if they got the apartment.

"Fine thank you, I'm sure you're eager to know the results of your reports. Good news! You met all our requirements so if you and your girlfriend could come sign the lease and put the deposit down plus first month's rent we can give you the keys."

Ichigo just stopped himself from leaping up in the air in jubilation, "That's great Wendy. I have to go to work right now but we can stop by tomorrow morning if that's ok? What time?" 

"We get to the office by 9:00 AM. Just give us a call to let us know you're coming so we can make sure someone is in the office to meeting with you," she replied sweetly.

"Great, thanks again." After hanging up with her Ichigo called Orihime who squealed in delight. "Go ahead and start packing up, we may as well take as much as we can on the first trip."

"Since I'm home I'll call a moving truck to take your furniture," Orihime offered.

"Actually, talk to Connor, maybe he knows someone with a truck. The only furniture I'll be taking is the chaise and my office chair. The desk, bed and dresser are all college issued."

"Ok, I'll see what I can find in the way of furniture today."

"Thanks Hime, love you," he said as he reached his work.

"Love you too Ichi, have a good day at work," she replied sweetly.

Orihime hung up with Ichigo and bounced in her seat on the couch so happy they'd finally found a place to move to! Connor heard her exclamations and made his way to the living room grinning.

"I'm guessing by the sounds of elation you found a place?" he asked leaning in the doorway. She nodded happily before asking him the question about the truck.

"Sure, I've got a buddy who has one; he'd have no problem helping out. What are you going to do about the rest of the furniture you need?"

"We'll probably end up buying second hand or even look through the classifieds for free stuff so we don't spend too much. I want to make it look nice but it's our first place so realistically we'll need to take what we can get," she giggled.

Nodding Connor congratulated them and went to call his friend with the truck before continuing work on his report before his next class.

Orihime, full of energy from her pent up nervousness of the morning, flew into a whirl of activity packing suitcases and any spare boxes she could find from when Ichigo moved into the dorm. He hadn't taken much with him from Karakura so most of what was there had been purchased in Boston. It didn't take her long to get everything situated. As she was packing her clothing she realized she would need to have items from her apartment shipped to her.

Saving that problem for another day she next began perusing classified ads for furniture. They would need a bed (she blushed, _their_ bed, their first bed!), bedding and towels, a dresser and armoire due to lack of a closet, dining room table and chairs, couch and kitchen gear. Thankfully since the apartment already had appliances they wouldn't need to worry about those more expense items.

By the time Ichigo had returned from work that night Orihime had found a number of reduced priced or free items and sent inquiry emails for all of them. She told him about her finds over dinner.

"Honestly, Hime,it didn't occur to me to try those types of places first. You just potentially saved us a lot of money!" he praised. She smiled and fidgeted under his appreciative gaze; every now again his full attention could still fluster her. While they were eating Connor returned from class announcing his friend was available anytime they needed him the next day. To make sure they got everything done Ichigo suggested as early as possible and they set up an 8:00 AM start time.

The next morning they were up early to make breakfast before beginning to moving items downstairs. Connor had risen with them to lend his assistance, sad they were leaving but happy for the couple. His friend Tyler was right on time and also helped carry things from upstairs to his truck. Piling into the cab the four friends headed to the leasing office, Ichigo having called them to give their estimated time of arrival.

Once all the paperwork was in order and money changed hands they were given the keys. Walking to the unit Ichigo opened it before gathering Orihime into his arms and carrying her in making everyone laugh. It didn't take them long to unload the truck since there were mostly light items, boxes and only two pieces of furniture.

"Tyler, would it be too much to ask for you to take us one more place? I'd like to make sure we get the bed set up while we have time and I think the one I have lined up to see is going to be perfect," Orihime asked sweetly.

"Of course not, are they expecting you now?" he replied.

"Yes, it's at a shop so they're there all day."

Getting back into the truck they made their way to a nearby neighborhood where a second hand furniture store was located. Orihime connected with the shop owner and he showed her the platform bedframe along with mattress. The mattress, of course, was new and so slightly more expensive but the beautiful wood platform was very affordable. The couple decided to take it. After they'd paid the three men loaded it up into the truck and hauled it back to the apartment.

Once the bed was in place the two men gave their goodbyes but not before Orihime insisted they come back the following weekend for a dinner and bring Caitlyn.

"It will help motivate us to get everything in order faster," she said laughing and they agreed to a day and time.

Turning around after shutting the door she found Ichigo staring at her intensely. "Ichi, what's wrong?" she asked moving towards him.

Closing the distance with two long strides he grasped her waist and kissed her deeply stealing her breath away. When they'd parted she smiled up at him, "What was that for?"

He grinned and just shook his head, "I just love you so much and can't believe this is real sometimes."

She beamed even brighter at his words, wrapping her arms around his neck in a huge hug before pulling back and taking his hand. "Come on, we have lots more to go see and get before you have to go to class."

The rest of the day was spent traveling about the city looking at the furniture Orihime had found, most of which was as advertised so there were no surprises. They ended up renting a truck after all just to get everything back to the apartment without bothering Tyler's day again but didn't care because by the end of the day they'd acquired a couch, two dressers, small dining room table with four chairs and a slew of kitchen gadgets. Their last purchases put away the couple collapsed exhausted on their new bed.

Ichigo looked at the clock and groaned, "Ugh, I'm going to be late for my night class if I don't leave now. Thanks for packing a sandwich for me," he finished kissing Orihime swiftly before changing quickly and rushing out the door.

Sighing Orihime lay back down on the bed and looked around the room. There were still finishing touches needing to be done but she smiled as she inhaled the scent of the pillow next to her knowing that no matter where they ended up now or in the future home would always be wherever they were together.

 **Author's Note: Not a whole lot going on for a month's time away, I know, but at least they are finally in their new apartment! Hopefully this short little chapter was a fun read. I'm trying to come up with more for them in this storyline but for the most part my brain is stuck in ShuuHime land! Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, faved and followed! Till the** **next time! - BFFF**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

 **Author's Note: Time jump here, I enjoyed the day to day week to week but I want to get this moving again. Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed thus far, I hope to not disappoint with these next couple of chapters. More fluff here but the drama will kick up in the chapters following this one. Sorry again for the long delay, the plot bunnies for this one have not been very well fed so it's taking longer to put together (hopefully) quality material.**

Chapter 20: A Time of Celebration

One Year Later…

Orihime looked at the calendar and yawned. She couldn't believe it had already been one year since she and Ichigo moved into their apartment. Life had been somewhat normal for the usually supernaturally plagued couple. Despite the occasional hollow fight that Ichigo assisted with to any shinigami assigned to Boston their days were filled with work, school and becoming closer as a couple.

The healer had been able to enroll in a local small culinary school which she was enjoying immensely. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy general studies but her passion for food had increased since working for Cheryl and Robert who had recommended the school to her if she wanted to hone her skills.

Now she was looking forward to two weeks off of school and work to go see all their friends in Soul Society in attendance at Rukia and Renji's wedding, especially since she had been feeling run down as of late. Said trip was the cause of Orihime's current activity of packing.

"Ichigo," she called down the hall, "Where is your formal kimono?" She'd looked through all their clothing but was still unable to locate it.

From his place at the kitchen table where he was planning out his next semester's courses he called back, "It's at the dry cleaners. When I pulled it out of the closet there was some crap on it. It's ready today I'll go pick it up." Dropping the pen from his hand he grabbed his wallet and keys, the two of them having acquired an extremely used but very cheap car so they could get around the city without relying on Vincent all the time though they stayed in contact with the middle aged friend, frequently having him join them for a meal.

"Thank you! Oh! Can you pick up a sewing repair kit from there too? Always good to have one on hand at a wedding!" she called not aware that he was right behind her. "Sure thing," he whispered in her ear making her squeal and drop the bundle of clothes in her arms spinning around quickly. Ichigo laughed as he gathered her up for a kiss before heading back down the hall and out the door. Orihime's heart was still pounding in her chest both from him startling her and from the kiss. He could still make her weak kneed though this time she felt a little light headed too. Frowning she made her way to the bed to sit down for a minute.

Ichigo's errand didn't take long and after his return he helped his girlfriend finish up the packing so they'd be ready in the morning. Climbing into bed together that night Orihime sighed as Ichigo ran his fingers through her hair. "Whatcha thinking about?" he asked in a low voice, kissing her cheek. She smiled brightly, "Just excited to see everyone again! It's been so long since the last time we were all together." Ichigo reflected on that, recalling that the last time they'd seen their shinigami friends all in one place had been when they were under siege. He was exceedingly glad their trip was because of something positive. Snuggling closer together the couple soon fell asleep, each looking forward to what the dawn would bring.

The next morning they were up early waiting for their contact to arrive. When Orihime opened the door to answer its knock she squealed in surprise, "Shuuhei-kun?!" Throwing her arms around his neck she hugged him fiercely and Ichigo was amused to see the lieutenant appearing to have some difficulty breathing.

"Hey, Orihime," he rasped out before she finally let him go. "Sorry," she said excitedly, "I'm just so happy to see you! I can't believe you're our escort!" He grinned down at her then moved around extending his hand to Ichigo who took it in his own for a firm handshake.

"Of course I came to get you! Can't send just anybody to get two of the guests of honor," he quipped winking at her. Ichigo felt that old familiar stirring of protectiveness bubble up at the gesture but kept in his temper; they were all friends and he knew Hisagi wasn't actually flirting with her that was just the way he was. Looking back at Ichigo the man asked, "Are you guys ready to go?" At his nod the shinigami picked up one of their bags, ignoring Orihime's protest and walked back out the door. "Normally I'd say we could use shunpo to get to the senkaimon but seeing as you need to take your body with you we'll have to use other means of transportation," Shuuhei advised with a smile.

Ichigo nodded over to their car, "It's not much but it'll get the job done. Is there some place we can leave it?" Shuuhei nodded, "The gate is located in the basement of one of our contacts here, we can park your car in their garage, shouldn't be a problem."

Upon their arrival they found such to be the case and Ichigo let the keys with them in case they had reason to move it. Stepping up to the gate they waved goodbye to their benefactors before moving forward into the bright light. Thankfully since this was an official entrance they didn't need to worry about "the cleaner".

"I'm warning you now," Hisagi said to Orihime, "Rangiku has been talking about how excited she is to see you for the past 6 months so get ready for a hug that just might kill you." Orihime giggled but Ichigo scowled, concerned he'd have to muscle off the busty fukutachio should his girlfriend actually start turning blue. Sure enough the moment they exited into Soul Society Orihime was enveloped in the arms of her good friend.

"Hime-chan!" she shouted excitedly, "Oh my goodness I missed you so much!" Orihime returned the hug as best she could while eking out, "Hi Rangiku, I missed you too." Finally the woman let go of her without intervention needed from the protective orange haired male standing nearby only to tackle him next. "Oh Ichigo, I'm so, so, so happy you and she are finally together!"

Her proclamation surprised him but then he realized he hadn't seen any of these people save for Renji and Rukia a few times when they made a point to visit him and Shuuhei when he'd been assigned to Karakura before he'd left for America. Patting her awkwardly on the back he replied, "Um, thanks Rangiku, I am too."

When she'd released him the foursome made their way to the Kuchiki Manor where the guest couple would be staying under request of Rukia. Truthfully Byakuya still harbored, if not hostile, annoyed feelings towards the male of the orange haired pair but Orihime he did not mind. She was polite, had done much for his world and was a true friend to his sister so he felt he could stand the presence of her rude, overbearing counterpart for the duration of their stay to make Rukia happy.

Upon their arrival they found Rukia, Renji and Byakuya waiting for them at the front doors. Orihime and Rukia ran to each other hugging fiercely while Ichigo walked up to Renji and shook his hand. Looking to Byakuya he was tempted to do the same, but he knew the captain wouldn't take it as the sign of respect Ichigo would have meant it to be. Instead he opted to bow, Orihime having begged him to be on his best behavior so they wouldn't have any issues while staying there. She knew in some weird way Ichigo bonded with people, particularly men, through antagonizing them but this method did not work with the head of the Kuchiki clan.

Startled but not showing it on his face Byakuya returned the bow. As he rose he spoke, "Welcome, Kurosaki-san and Inoue-san. Please get settled in and then we will convene in the dining room for breakfast." Without another word he turned and walked back into the manor. Renji was staring after him shocked he'd condoned to speak so politely to his human friend but then laughed, "Looks like you finally shocked the taichou Ichigo, nice job." Ichigo smirked casting a glance at Orihime who was positively beaming. " _Worth it,"_ he thought looking at her happy face.

A servant stepped forward taking their bags and asking them to follow him to their guest chambers, an immaculate but comfortable room. They took a few moments to unpack then followed their escort to the dining hall. When they arrived it was to find their host, his sister and her soon to be husband already seated. Hisagi and Rangiku had left back to their divisions, the business of the day still to be done. The three people joining them at the table were relieved of duty for the time being in the preparations of the upcoming event.

Talk naturally fell to the impending nuptials. Orihime turned to Rukia, trying to stifle another yawn, and asked, "Ok so who do you want to attend your bachelorette party?" Rukia looked confused, "My what?"

Blinking at her Orihime giggled, "I forget, our traditions aren't the same as yours. I guess I should ask if you even want one. The same goes for you, Renji-kun, but in regards to a bachelor party."

Renji shrugged, "Depends on what it is I guess."

Ichigo smirked, "Traditionally both events are one last "hurrah" before tying the knot. Activities vary but we'll be limited here. For you it'd probably be gathering whoever of your noisy bunch you want to go to a bar and drink, which is what you normally do anyway, but this time it would be in "your honor" as the groom. For Rukia I have no idea."

Orihime laughed at the bewildered looks the couple was giving the two of them as she answered, "For Rukia we'd probably try to go dancing or something if we were in the living world. Here, much the same as what Ichigo described. It's just a chance for your friends, typically the wedding party were there one, and any close family you'd want at something like that to celebrate you individually."

Rukia still looked slightly confused but said slowly, "Well, I mean, if you _want_ to plan something Orhime that would be fine with me."

"Same goes for you Ichigo, just tell me what you need from me," Renji piped in.

Orihime clapped her hands while Ichigo barely suppressed a groan. He knew he couldn't get out of this so he might as well suck it up for Hime's sake. His girlfriend answered for both of them, "We just need the names of whoever you want to come, leave the rest to us!"

Fairly quickly they were able to produce their lists, Renji reluctantly including his soon to be brother-in-law though he was fairly certain he'd rather drop dead before coming to something as such he'd heard described.

Ichigo grinned at the contents of the list looking up at the so far silent man, "May as well get this one out of the way first, you in Byakuya?" Sending a look that gave ice a run for its money he was about to answer with a curt "no" when his eye flickered to Rukia. She had a…hopeful look on her face. " _Surely she cannot want me to attend this ridiculous gathering?"_ he mused, figuring Renji wanted him there about as much as he wanted to go. However, over the years he'd worked to better his relationship with his adopted sister and found he quite enjoyed her company and, when possible, making her happy. He felt in that way he was finally honoring Hisana's memory instead of wallowing in it.

Shifting his gaze back to the orange haired annoyance he inclined his head in a signal of assent. The look on both his and his lieutenant's face was worth it. Momentarily stunned Ichigo just stared at him until Orihime nudged him under the table with her foot and he was thankful she was the one across from him; had it been Rukia his shin would have been bruised.

Clearing his throat he placed a tick mark next to the captain's name, "Great, um, I'll let you know more details when I have them." Nodding again Byakuya rose from his seat, "Please make yourselves at home, I must see to some clan duties." With that he was gone and Renji let out a deep sigh.

"I never in a million years expected him to say yes," he muttered but a very small part of him, deep down, was pleased regardless of whether his motivation to be there was because of Rukia which he didn't doubt. Either way it was a step in a positive direction for he and his captain, at least he hoped so.

"Anyway, I know Orihime said to leave it to us but I have no idea where to take you so tell me what your favorite bar around here is and we'll go there. What are we thinking, tomorrow night?" he asked looking to his girlfriend again. She nodded, "The wedding is on Sunday so that works perfectly. Thanks Ichi!" She ended with a kiss to his cheek before scurrying off with Rukia to make plans for the women. Ichigo watched her go and Renji watched him.

Leaning back in his chair the red head asked with a grin on his face, "So, when you are two going to take the plunge?"

Ichigo returned the look, "I'm going to ask her when we go back to Japan. Chad's helping with the preparations." Renji's eyes widened, "Seriously? I didn't think you'd ask her until you were done with school."

Ichigo shrugged, "We're already living together, plus I know there's no one else I want to be with so it makes sense to make it official sooner than later. I'm hoping she'll agree to a small wedding with just our living friends and family. We can do a bigger party later because I know she'd want to invite half of Soul Society since she has so many friends here."

"Good luck with that," muttered Renji then stood and extended his hand to his friend, "But seriously, glad to see you both finally together, it was about time!" Ichigo grasped the proffered hand, shaking firmly then stood punching Renji in the arm, "Come on, enough of this bromance crap, let's go talk to your pals about Friday." Renji returned the jab before they headed out of the room.

By the end of the day everyone on the lists had been contacted and it appeared they'd have perfect attendance the following evening despite the last minute plans.

Orihime had planned a trip to an onsen with the women opting for a relaxing night which she felt Rukia would appreciate more. Rangiku, of course, brought plenty of sake from her own stash which they set up in their rented room. Rukia's guests, in addition to Orihime and Rangiku, included Nanao, Isane, Momo, Kukaku and Tatsuki. She, Chad, and Uryuu had arrived that day to Soul Society for the wedding as additional special guests from the living world. They spent the majority of the late afternoon into evening enjoying the services of the onsen including massages, manicures, pedicures and of course the hot spring baths. Orihime was glad of the relaxation as well, having been feeling even more tired but trying to hide it because she was having so much fun.

Ichigo had his hands full handling a group of enthusiastic and rowdy shinigami men, noting to himself that Orihime owed him _something_ for the current hell he was experiencing. Though when he noticed the grin on Renji's face and saw he was really enjoying himself he figured it wasn't _all_ bad.

Unsurprisingly Renji's guest list had been larger than Rukia's given he'd been able to be more social than her over the years prior to their pairing up. Amongst the group were Shuuhei, Toushiro, Shunsui, Byakuya, Joushiro, Ikkaku, Tetsuzaemon, Izuru, Yumichika, and surprisingly Hanataro along with Chad and Uryuu. He would have invited Kenpachi but everyone was concerned he'd just pick a fight with Ichigo which they did not want. They'd gone to a local bar close to Division 6 and proceeded to drink until most could barely tell up from down. The former ryokas along with Hanataro and Byakuya remained the most sober both from choice and necessity.

The following day Orihime woke up feeling even more exhausted. " _I hope I'm not coming down with something,"_ she thought making her way to the bathroom to splash water on her face. When she'd dried off and looked in the mirror she gasped. Around her eyes were dark grey circles; she looked like she hadn't slept in a week! "Guess I didn't sleep as well as I thought," she murmured reaching for her concealer. The last thing she needed was anyone worrying about _her_ when Rukia and Renji's special day was tomorrow! Adequately covering up she nodded her head and went back out to the main room, the ladies sprawled about amongst the bed, a cot and floor mats.

Ichigo and Renji had returned to the manor, everyone having gone home at the end of the evening. The groom to be woke with a major hangover but thanked Ichigo nonetheless for the great night when the orange hair had checked on him. "Yeah, yeah, just sleep it off. See you at lunch," he muttered closing the door, Renji lost to snoring again. Heading to the terrace of the guest room Ichigo looked out over the gardens, smiling to himself. He'd been nervous about asking Orihime to marry him, though he wasn't sure why, being fairly sure she'd say yes since she had practically vowed herself to him already. But being around all the wedding talk and final preparations had gotten him somewhat excited and he couldn't wait to get her back to Japan (another surprise she didn't know about) to ask her by the river. The river…where they'd had so many talks, so many private moments that neither knew were so significant for the other because they'd not known about each other's feelings.

Shaking his head he moved back inside just in time to see Orihime entering the room.

"Hey Hime, how was your night with the girls?" he asked wrapping her in a hug. From her position in his arms he felt her take a deep breath before answering, "It was fun but I'm really tired." He pulled back to look at her, noticing she looked a little pale. Placing the back of his hand against her forehead he frowned, "You're burning up; I think you might have a fever. Come on, let's get you changed and into bed." When she didn't protest he knew something was really wrong. Within ten minutes she was settled in, already starting to fall asleep as Ichigo pulled the dark curtains across the windows before kissing her forehead and leaving the room.

Rukia, rounding the corner a moment later, saw his look of concern. "Ichigo, what's the matter?" Meeting her eyes he replied, "I think Orihime's sick. She came back to the room saying she was tired but when I felt her forehead she was hot. She's asleep right now."

Frowning Rukia nodded. She'd noticed the night before that Orihime looked a little under the weather but being Orihime she'd brushed it aside, focusing all her attention on making the night special for her. She smiled at the kindness of her human friend and just hoped she hadn't pushed herself so hard that she ended up sick.

Both Orihime and Renji rested for most of the day, though the lieutenant was up and about in time for lunch while the healer was still asleep. When Ichigo had returned from checking on her again Rukia asked from her seat on the couch next to her soon to be husband, "How is she? Did she wake up to eat?" Ichigo shook his head, flopping down on a chair with a sigh, "I managed to wake her but she said she wasn't hungry. First thing she worried about of course was the wedding tomorrow. I told her to go back to sleep. If she doesn't want to eat at dinner then I might have to call someone from Fourth to look at her." He rubbed his face groaning out, "And here I thought this would be an uneventful trip to Soul Society, save for your wedding of course."

Renji and Rukia glanced at each other, clearly at a loss as to what to do. Looking at the pair Ichigo shook his head, "Shit guys, I'm sorry this is happening now of all times. I'd take her home but I know you'd both just worry and honestly I don't think she's fit to travel."

Rukia frowned, "Ichigo, she's more than welcome to stay as long as needed, you both are." He offered a small smile in thanks before standing again. "I need to get some air, would you mind staying close by, just in case she needs anything?"

She nodded saying, "We'll look after her." Nodding in return he walked out of the room. "Should I go with him?" Renji asked unsurely. Rukia shook her head, "No, he needs some time to himself and I need to check on some things for tomorrow, so can you go stay nearby for Orihime?"

"Of course," he replied kissing her cheek before she rose from her seat. Smiling down at him she squeezed his hand and then made her own exit. Renji grabbed a book and chair, heading to sit just outside Orihime and Ichigo's room so he could hear if she needed him.

Inside the room Orihime was tossing and turning, sweat pouring from almost every pore. Finally her eyes flew open and she sat up, heaving deep breaths. The door opened and the next moment Renji was next to her, "Orihime, what's wrong? Do you hurt? Do you need to throw up?" Nodding she struggled to get up but he saved her the trouble, hefting her into his arms easily before depositing her in the bathroom. She'd barely gotten her head over the toilet before she was expelling the very little in her stomach, most of it being whatever she'd consumed the previous evening. Renji held her hair for her and rubbed her back waiting until she was done to speak softly, "It's going to be ok, we'll get someone from Fourth to look at you."

Shaking her head as she flushed the toilet she collapsed back from her knees to sit on the floor, "No, Renji-kun, that…that helped a lot. I think maybe I just ate something bad last night. Really, I'll be fine." Frowning he opened his mouth again but she cut off any argument, "Tomorrow you and Rukia are getting married and there is no way I'm missing it. I'm fine but don't tell Ichigo about this."

"Orihime, I can't-"but she met his eyes, "Please Renji-kun, I…I really do feel better, I actually wish I'd done that sooner today, maybe I could have enjoyed time with you all." He growled in frustration but nodded knowing in the back of his mind he would regret this decision. Helping her up off the floor he commented, "Well, if you don't want him worried I suggest you bathe, you're covered in sweat so he'll know something's up. I'll get one of the servants to change the sheets while you do that." She hugged him tightly, "Thank you Renji-kun, I promise everything will be perfect tomorrow."

Heaving a big sigh Renji commented, "As long as you're ok I agree." She smiled up at him before he exited the bathroom. Making his way to the hall he asked one of the maids to please change out the sheets for Inoue-san and Kurosaki-san.

Ichigo had returned ten minutes after the sheets were changed, startled to see the bed made so completely and Orihime missing. Walking to the door of the bathroom he opened it slowly as he called, "Hime? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm just taking a bath. Sleeping really seemed to help, I guess I just needed some rest," she answered as he moved all the way into the room. Staring at her covered in bubbles he was tempted to strip down and join her but if he did they would be embarrassingly late to dinner, which with Byakuya around was not an option. Plus, though she said she was feeling better, Ichigo knew Orihime could be as stubborn as he was when it came to her own well-being and didn't want her exerting any more energy that she needed at the moment. Sending her a coy smile he remarked, "I'll be downstairs, don't want to be late you know." She blushed under his gaze but smiled back, a soft, "I love you," coming from her lips. "Love you too Hime," he replied before exiting and heading to the lounge to wait for everyone.

When Orihime appeared she did indeed look slightly better, eyes brighter and countenance cheerful though she continued yawning from time to time. Ichigo noticed Renji eyeing her somewhat apprehensively but figured he was just worried. Over the years Orihime had become like a sister to the tattooed man for which Ichigo was thankful; if he couldn't be there he knew Renji would defend Orihime with his life the same way Ichigo would do for Rukia were the roles reversed. Both men trusted the other implicitly to watch over each other's families.

Rukia admonished her for pushing herself too hard but Orihime just laughed it off as she always did. As the meal was consumed they discussed the plans one more time. Finally it was time for bed; the big day almost upon them.

The next morning dawned bright and beautiful without a cloud in the sky. Orihime hurried about, thankfully feeling much better than she had the previous couple of days and believed all to be right now. " _Maybe I just had a weird bug, I hope I didn't give it to anyone,"_ she thought but then pushed the negativity from her mind. This was Rukia and Renji's big day and she was not going to ruin it by worrying!

Rukia looked stunning in her full length white traditional wedding kimono, red sash tied at her waist and hair twisted up into a bun secured with a sakura blossom covered clip. Rangiku did her makeup, a simple pink motif to compliment the hairclip. Orihime wore a green kimono and pink sash, hair also done up but in a French twist.

Finally, when all the guests were seated, the music started and Ichigo and Orihime headed down the aisle, Ichigo moving to stand next to Renji while Orihime moved to the other side to wait for Rukia. Everyone turned as they stood to watch the entrance of the bride and her brother. Rukia was positively beaming, never taking her eyes off Renji in his black kimono and red sash as they made their way down the aisle.

When they'd reached their end point brother and sister turned to one another, Byakuya leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Who gives this woman to wed this man?" Ukitake was performing the ceremony, smiling benignly down at his lieutenant and fellow captain. Meeting his eyes Byakuya said clearly, "I do." Renji took a step forward and Byakuya placed Rukia's hand in his. Meeting his lieutenant's eyes he said, "She is yours to protect and love though I will never be far behind in either." Renji nodded then looked back to Rukia.

Stepping up to the altar the couple waited as Ukitake explained the purpose of marriage and the thrill of this day. "The couple has written their own vows so I will defer to them. Rukia, ladies first." The crowd chuckled slightly and the raven haired beauty smiled up at her red headed love.

Taking a deep breath she spoke softly but clearly, "Renji, I know this hasn't been the easiest road for us. I had so much pride, too much really, to allow myself to let you in. But once I did it felt like my heart returned to me. You've brought passion back to my soul which felt so dead before you. I vow, before you and these witnesses, to do all in my power to bestow upon you as best I can even a fraction of what you've given to me. I love you, my friend, my confidant, my love." At her conclusion she placed his ring upon his finger.

Renji cleared his throat, "Rukia, I've loved you since we were kids and every year I've known you fell deeper in love with you. The time and distance apart mean nothing now standing here with you, as we conclude being separate to step forward in union of heart, mind, body and soul. I have never nor will I ever love anyone as much as I love you and vow, before you and these witnesses, to honor, cherish, protect and love you every day our lives." Renji slipped on her wedding band, rubbing his thumb over it briefly as he stared in her eyes.

"And we, as your friends and family, vow to support you both throughout your journey, two roads now joined to one forever. Renji, you may kiss your bride." Grinning Renji leaned down, kissing Rukia sweetly but long, cheers erupting around them. Pulling back he whispered, "I love you Rukia Abarai." Rukia blushed and returned, "And I you, Renji Abarai."

As they made their way back down the aisle Ichigo and Orihime joined one another to follow them, Orihime with tears streaming down her face. "Oh Ichi, I'm so happy for them," she whispered as they walked. Looking at her Ichigo couldn't help but imagine _her_ in a white dress coming towards him and reconsidered his plans for a small wedding deciding that since she was the best thing in his whole life he should work to give her the best wedding possible.

When they'd reached the grand ball room for the reception Orihime made her way to stand next to Shuuhei. Ichigo sat at one of the tables, grinning up at her. Clearing her throat Orihime garnered everyone's attention, "As a special surprise for the new Mr. and Mrs. Abarai, Shuuhei-kun and I are honored to provide a special song for their first dance as husband and wife." Rukia almost squealed in excitement as she was led out to the center of the room by Renji.

Shuuhei began strumming as Orihime sang "A Thousand Years", the most perfect song anyone could think of for the fukutaichou couple. They swayed and turned about to the music, Orihime's clear voice echoing beautifully throughout the room. Renji leaned down to whisper, "I love you." Rukia smiled back up at him, "I love you too." Then they kissed as the song ended. Clapping erupted and the couple made their way to their friends, hugging both tightly in thanks.

After their performance Orihime and Shuuhei returned to their respective significant others; her to Ichigo and he to Rangiku. A small string ensemble supplied music for the remainder of the evening as dinner was served. Ichigo was glad to see Orihime's voracious appetite had returned the sight of her consuming way more than her stomach should be able to hold bringing him a strange comfort. Relaxing slightly he allowed himself to more fully enjoy the festivities, only to be jarred out of his contentedness by Kenpachi's gruff voice, " _There_ you are Kurosaki! Time for that rematch!"

"Damn it," hissed Ichigo eyeing around for a quick exit before the bullheaded captain could further cause a scene. Dealing with a crazy Kenpachi was one thing; dealing with a thoroughly pissed off Rukia was another! Spying a back door he took off but forgot he wasn't in shinigami form! Kenpachi would have easily closed the distance had Orihime not thrown her shield sphere around him. He turned his crazy countenance on her and Ichigo momentarily forgot the purpose of her assistance until her eyes met his with the clear message of, "Get out of here!" written plan as day. Nodding thanks he took off for their room, slammed his badge into his chest and took off into the night.

Yachiru was squealing and laughing in delight, "Big boobies caught Kenny! Kenny, you'd be really bad at tag with her!" Growling out he shook his fist at Orihime, "I'm not one to make an enemy of, Inoue-san, remember that!" But she just smiled and replied, "Oh Kenpachi, you know you love the thrill of the chase." The comment made Ikkaku and Yumichika snort which earned them death glares from their captain, though neither was unaccustomed to it. Sensing Ichigo had a good head start Orihime let down her sphere, Kenpachi tearing off in hot pursuit.

Sighing Orihime sat back in her chair, more tired than she expected to be considering the eleventh's taichou hadn't even put up that much resistance to her enclosure, thereby cementing her theory of his love of the game as much as fighting.

"That was priceless Orihime-chan," Ikkaku cackled patting her on the shoulder as Yumichika nodded, "Very adept of you. Given that our captain is less than stellar at sensing reiatsu Kurosaki-san should be able to lose him, provided he can at least momentarily subdue his trail."

"Ichi-kun has been practicing that a lot," Orihime offered taking another bite of cake, "That's probably why we don't have as many direct hollow attacks where we live."

"Oh ho! I thought I'd heard word you two were shacking up together," Ikkaku crowed winking at her causing the young woman to blush. A moment later he was rubbing his head where it had been smacked by Yumichika, "Please, can't you see you're embarrassing the poor thing?"

Orihime offered a small smile, "I'm not embarrassed Yumi-kun, well, not _that_ much but it still catches me off guard that this is all real…" she trailed off sure the violent men of the eleventh were not interested in romantic notions. Conversation moved on as the two men and others joined in recounting the last two years to the healer, her sides hurting from laughing at the antics Yachiru would pull on the new recruits of the eleventh.

Eventually the reception wound down but Ichigo had still not returned. Moving to the couple of the hour Orihime hugged them both as they prepared to depart for their honeymoon, "Thank you so much for making Ichigo and I part of your special day! I'm sorry he's not here to say goodbye but he was trying to save the reception hall from turning to fight fodder." Renji grinned kissing her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Tell him I owe him for making sure she stayed in a good mood." Orihime blushed but giggled then hugged Rukia again before the couple made their way out of the hall.

Heading back to their guest room Orihime was just about to take off her kimono when she felt Ichigo approaching. His reiatsu level was lower and for a moment she was proud of how far his shielding capabilities had come until he landed heavily wounded and bloody on the ground.

"Ichi-kun!" she cried kneeling next to him and sent out her healing dome over his now prone body. As she mended him back together his breathing became more regular, the wounds closing leaving no trace of their existence. "What happened?" she whispered when he was back to full consciousness.

Growling Ichigo slammed his fist against the ground, "That damn Kenpachi is what happened! Shit, you would think with how he attacked me we were right back to the first time we ever came to Soul Society! He has no self restraint at all!" Breathing heavily now from anger he continued, "I have no idea how any of his squad survives basic training!" The healing completed Orihime's spirits retreated to their positions.

Helping him up the red head murmured, "I don't think he trains them Ichi-kun, that's mostly Ikkaku-kun and Yumi-kun." Shaking his head he drew her into his arms kissing her softly, "Thanks for putting me back together, sorry I had to take off like that." Orihime grinned and relayed Renji's message to him making Ichigo actually laugh. Then she noticed his eyes grow hungry as he kissed her cheek before moving down to her neck. Orihime breathing increased once then again at his heated tone, "Speaking of feeling good. Do you know how hard it's been to keep my hands off of you all day? Green is _definitely_ your color Hime."

Reaching up he released the sash and then buttons of her dress the whole time not relinquishing his mouth from her sweet flesh. Once all had been undone he slowly pushed the material off her shoulders, its satiny texture sliding easily down the smoothness of her skin. Pulling back up to her face he cupped her cheek, "I love you." Smiling up into his face she whispered back, "I love you too Ichi-kun."

The rest of their evening was spent amongst tangled limbs and sheets, the feeling of love and longing in the day culminating in their expression of passion for one another. Ichigo had nearly proposed right there but knew he wanted to do it right, so he occupied his mouth with pleasuring his woman until they both collapsed into a sated sleep.

 **Author's Note: Another fluffy chapter but I wanted us to get to the wedding! Next chapters will bring a little more drama to the table to spice things up a bit! Reviews feed the muse so please let me know your thoughts and thank you for sticking with this story!**


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